Future Palace – Distortion
Release Date: 6th September 2024
Label: Arising Empire
Order/Stream
Genre: Metalcore, Alternative Metal, Modern Metal, Post-Hardcore.
FFO: As Everything Unfolds, Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Dream State, Annisokay, Venues, Set Your Sails, Conquer Divide.
Review By: Mark Waight
Distortion is the hard hitting, tough talking third album from modern Metalcore maestros, Future Palace. The often-gritty subject matter of Distortion deals with many of today’s mental health issues such as depression, ADHD and narcissism, by addressing them face on with emotional, powerful and thought-provoking compositions that will completely blow you away. Distortion is poignant stuff, raw and uncompromising, which allows Future Palace to bore deep into your psyche with an album of memorable proportions that simply lingers on the mind.
Future Palace is Maria Lessing (vocals), Manuel Kohlert (guitars) and Johannes Frenzel (drums).
Tearing at the very fabric of your mind, Uncontrolled kicks things off with a gut punching riff that will leave you completely floored as the vocals drift seamlessly between brutal and angelic. Taking things down a notch or two, heavy bass thumping, Malphas hits the distortion pedal hard whilst at the same time grabbing you by the scruff and shaking you down!
With a more modern theme and sweeter haunting vocals, Panic Paralysis offers a subtle switch of tact whilst still maintaining that link to the harsher main core message. Next up, The Echoes of Disparity continues in much the same way, with electro infused rap style vocals really pressing the point home this time out.
Much softer on the ears, Dreamstate is a beautifully crafted tune with cleaner choral vocals being skilfully melded with a superb, synthesised soundtrack to create one hell of an outstanding piece of music. Following on in the same vein, Decarabia picks up the baton and the speed with a full throttle, flat-out showstopper of a track that totally exceeds the red line!
If you think you’re In Too Deep, then just buckle up and hold on tight as the temperature and the aggression levels are about to rise once again. If your legs are already wobbling, then beware, as we are only halfway there, so you better dig deep! With intensity levels now at maximum, Rays of Light provides a welcome break as it seems to float effortlessly between moments of pure clarity and light alongside the darker and blacker interludes.
The twisting and turning track A Fool on the Devils Reins absolutely blazes through on a fiery demonic ride that takes us all to the very depths of despair and back in a pulsating echo of early Linkin Park. Following hot on its heels, They Take What They Want consistently keeps the energy levels high as it dips in and out between fire and fury.
Finale Amethyst brings Distortion to a close not by slowing things down but by clicking into overdrive and powering through to the jaw dropping finish. All of this will serve to make sure that you are under no illusions and that you have just listened to one of the must-have albums of the year!
Future Palace have certainly made Distortion an experience that you won’t easily forget, as it broaches subjects that we can all relate to and deals with them in a fitting manner. Distortion never lets up for a minute as Future Palace never give you to recover between tracks – awesome! Without doubt, Distortion is head and shoulders above most of the Metalcore albums that I have heard so far in 2024 and hence I have already secured myself a copy. Future Palace are nailed on to do well with this album, so make sure you pre-save it to your playlist or at the very least check it out when it drops, you won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended.
(4.5 / 5)
