Dying Wish – Symptoms of Survival
Release Date: 3rd November 2023
Label: Sharptone Records
Order/Stream
Genre: Metallic Hardcore
FFO: Knocked Loose, Counterparts, Year of the Knife.
Review By: Jeff Finch
Metalcore / Metallic Hardcore is an interesting genre to peg; for every band that comes along and wows us, there seem to be a number of bands that, while not in any capacity bad, just don’t seem to bring anything to the table that hasn’t been done better by someone else. So when that diamond in the rough stands out, and is so damn vibrant and noticeable so as to be nearly impossible to miss, ears perk, expectations strengthen, anticipation grows. For the quintet from Portland, Oregon, Dying Wish, expectations were already through the roof after their blistering debut Fragments of a Bitter Memory. For their second acts, Dying Wish has taken everything that made their debut so good and cranked it to 11, pulling no punches and proving they’re worthy of all the praise.
First and foremost, even though the band has received praise, lead vocalist Emma Boster has got to be one of the most criminally underrated vocalists in the metal scene, unfortunately seeming to be ignored for someone like Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox. Not to say anything negative about them, as they are also extraordinarily talented, but Emma and Dying Wish are everything that Spiritbox wishes they could be, at least for this listener. In a mere 33 minutes over 11 tracks, a lean and mean album length, Dying Wish pummels listeners with tight riffs, chaotic drumming, and one of the more visceral vocal performances I’ve heard in 2023. With uncanny precision, Emma transitions from a near black-metal shriek to syrupy sweet cleans to devastating hardcore shouts, all while the band behind her shifts in tandem, rarely eschewing their heaviness for radio friendliness. The title track, our opener, is a mid-tempo riff fest, unwavering in its intensity and heft, the guitars downtuned and chunky, the drumming full of double bass chaos, a bit tribal at points when the band exercises restraint, all the while Emma rips through your headphones with a ferocity that places her among the best in hardcore.
A blistering pace keeps album standout Prey for Me rolling, constant tempo shifts performed with deadly precision, mini-breakdowns peppered throughout, a double bass percussive assault just hammering at the listener, as Emma unleashes demonic shrieks in a barely two minute sonic barrage on our senses, while on Path to Your Grave the band seems to channel some Shadows Fall at the beginning, very thrashy in spots, a great many tempo shifts and time signature changes contrasting with a nice reprieve at points where a brilliant clean guitar takes center stage.
On a handful of tracks, we are treated (sincerely) to the range Emma brings to the table, absolutely incredible cleans seguing brilliantly into acerbic shrieks preceding a breakdown on Starved, while the entirety of our closer Lost in the Fall, sees Emma stick solely to her clean singing, carrying a surprisingly subdued track, complete with a piano interlude and incredibly catchy chorus, to near perfection, That there is such a contrast with her vocals, that never once feels forced, is a testament to the sheer talent she brings to the table, undoubtedly one of the finest vocalists in metal, period.
Last but not least on this album, let’s talk breakdowns; there was a mini-breakdown already mentioned as taking place in Prey for Me and Starved, while Watch my Promise Die features a mammoth breakdown to finish out the track, a neck breaking, chest caving intensity spewing forth from your speakers, while Kiss of Judas features a number of mini-breakdowns peppered throughout the track, shifting into a bit of thrash before the tempo shifts and, once more, we’re treated to a gnarly, backbreaking breakdown. Though this review paints Emma as the star, this band performs with pure, unfettered ferocity, shifting when called upon and pummeling the listener every step of the way.
With Symptoms of Survival, if they haven’t already done so before with their stellar debut, Dying Wish has confirmed that they are one of the premier metallic hardcore bands on the planet. The chameleon that is Emma Boster treats listeners to a wide array of vocal mastery, from the terrifying shrieks to the lofty cleans, while the guitars chug with ill intent, the bass shakes the earth, and the drums assault everything in their path. This feels like an album that was created with the sole purpose of running over its listeners with the ferocity of a charging bull, and that’s how it feels. It may only be 33 minutes in length, but the dizzying amount of sheer power put to record here should be lauded, as it’s one of the best records of the year 2023, of that there is no doubt.
(4.5 / 5)
