RELIQA – Secrets of the Future
Release Date: 31st May 2024
Label: Nuclear Blast
Stream/Order
Genre: Modern Metalcore
FFO: Spiritbox, Red Hook, As Everything Unfolds, Future Palace.
Review By: Mark Waight
RELIQA’s meteoric rise from the Australian underground to becoming exciting new prospects of the worldwide Metalcore scene has been nothing short of outstanding. This band whose name will soon be on everyone’s lips are about to hit the big time and their spanking new album “Secrets of the Future” will go a very long way in delivering that goal!
Throw in some Electronica, Pop, Prog and Post-Hardcore and you have all the necessary ingredients that the Modern Metal world requires, complete with all the extra trimmings to deliver exactly what the current fanbase are baying for! RELIQA have it all!
RELIQA is Monique Pym (Vocals), Brandon Hutcheson (Guitars), Miles Knox (Bass) and Benjamin Knox (Drums).
With its almost dance like vibe, Dying Light whizzes through at a very rapid rate of knots. It’s a cool fusion of several different styles, all of which makes a modern kick ass metal tune that’s typically over before you realize it’s begun.
Cave is a little gentler on the ears and gives you the opportunity to really appreciate Monique Pym’s vocal prowess. Whereas the futuristic sounding killstar (The Cold World) takes things up a notch by throwing in a wee bit of aggression by means of a mean riff or two and some Nu-Metal style vocals.
The Flower blooms brightly throughout this superb short track, with a banging hook and well executed interlude. Next up is Sariah, a much softer entity altogether with some beautifully haunting vocals and deft touch musicianship which certainly helps lift the mood.
The Sci-Fi infused Terminal picks up the pace and subtly worms its way into your brain to mind-blowing effect. Absolutely loved It! However, the heavier and harder hitting Keep Yourself Awake on the other hand just beats down the door and in stark contrast unceremoniously throws you all over the room.
With a throwback to the 90s sound, Crossfire is truly outstanding, with its harmonies and pulsating undercurrent giving us a brief insight into where else RELIQA may go in the future. Physical does just that, as this cocktail of sound pulls at your very fibre as RELIQA push it to the limit, before Two Steps Apart drops it down a gear once again. Metalcore to the very (well) Core!
We all need A Spark and Secrets of the Future has plenty of them, with this rap/metal crossover showing the fluffier side of RELIQA as well as giving us a well-earned break to chill out for a moment. It’s not long though before everything is turned Upside Down once again, and we are back to the full-on stuff with this gut busting curtain closer. Wow, I need a lie down!
With every track of Secrets of the Future being super punchy as well as coming in at under 5 minutes long, there is never any chance to lose interest or get bored with this high calibre spot-on point Modern Metal album. Each track is also unique and more than stands up to scrutiny as an individual song capable of being released as a single. RELIQA have a very bright future ahead of them for sure and if you love Modern Metalcore then you will absolutely adore this album and be adding Secrets of the Future to your playlist right now.
(4 / 5)
