Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
Release Date: 17th September 2021
Label: Rise Records
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
FFO: Periphery, Jinjer, Sleep Token, Volumes, Make Them Suffer, Northlane.
Review By: Ryan Shearer
I’d recommend getting a drink. Perhaps some popcorn? I think you’re going to be here a while. Progressive metal titans Spiritbox have released their debut album Eternal Blue, and I have a lot to say about it. So find that comfy sweet spot in your chair and fill up your cup as we explore Eternal Blue together.
Spiritbox are a Canadian band formed from the proverbial ashes of Iwrestledabearonce (Mike, guitars & Courtney, vocals) and Living With Lions (Bill, bass). After releasing their self-titled EP in 2017 they began gaining an ever-growing and dedicated fan base, but 2019 saw them truly projected into the front runners of progressive metalcore leadership. Singles Rule of Nines and Blessed Be (in 2020) were hugely successful, leading to speculation an album was coming, but it wasn’t until Holy Roller dropped in July 2020 that things really took off. Now, over a year later, Eternal Blue has been released with 12 tracks of varying levels of beauty, aggression, groove & emotion.
Opener Sun Killer utilises pulsing synths and swells to build an incredibly moody track, before shifting into a unique and unusual slow build with Courtney whispering “Sun Killer, sing me to sleep” before it evolves into a spine-crushing breakdown. It ends by using what I’m calling the trademark Spiritbox ending technique of a harmonic sweep and 2 palm-muted open string attacks, seen at the end of a few of their tracks (Sun Killer, Eternal Blue, Constance) which is a nasty, brutal way to say goodbye at the end of a song which I can’t get enough of; throw me in that filth and I’ll roll around like a fucking pig. Mike Stringer, the band’s guitarist, has found his style and is confident and honest about what he writes; he creates intelligent and inspiring parts without sounding overly complex or inaccessible.
Hurt You is a relatively straightforward track both in terms of structure and approach, relatively prototypical of modern metalcore. While the chorus is incredibly catchy and well crafted (“I am happier when I hurt you” will be living rent free in your head for a while along with, honestly, most of the choruses to be found on Eternal Blue), the track itself isn’t as interesting as others to be found on the album. The composition and expectable breakdown is sure to go down a treat in a live environment I’d imagine. I can barely remember what a ‘live environment’ means – Spiritbox UK tour when?
Yellowjacket, featuring Sam Carter of Architects might just feature the heaviest sound I’ve ever heard. There is an absolutely disgusting guitar note played at the end of the intro (around 14 seconds in) that makes me pull a face I only normally do when I accidentally order the Extra Hot butterfly chicken from Nandos. Pure, unadulterated, painful joy. Shit hits harder than Thor’s hammer. The main riff is a super interesting one, with strange note choices creating memorable interest. Sam’s feature is very collaborative, with him appearing in multiple sections not only alone, but also dueting with Courtney. I know the word dueting makes it sound like Yellowjacket is a B-track from Grease, but it’s the polar opposite. The breakdown is pure Spiritbox; they’ve found their sound and they aren’t afraid to play with it in creative ways.
The Summit is almost a gateway track between the 2017-era Spiritbox and the Eternal Blue sound. It features vocal processing similar to what Erra did on Lunar Halo to give an ethereal flow underpinning the bouncy riffs. Secret Garden is a beautiful track filled with piano melodies and catchy hooks destined to leave you singing along by the second playthrough.
Silk in the Strings is fast, angry and takes no prisoners. It’s the point where the heaviness begins to build before the next track takes things to another level:
Holy Roller.
Can we just take a moment to pause, and talk about this fucking masterpiece? Never have I heard such a bouncy, heavy and aggressive guitar line and consistently punishing vocals and rhythms. It’s truly something special and does not take a moment to let you re-group. It assaults you like a barrage of grenades and it’s a blessing. Getting killed in a moshpit to this song would be an honourable way to die.
Eternal Blue dials it back a little for a while, before kicking in with some Periphery-esque guitar patterns. A tasteful (albeit short) guitar solo features on the title track. We Live In A Strange World starts off surprisingly, sounding like something Bring Me The Horizon would write instrumentally. Modern sounding electronics and sharp production gives it a unique flavour. I can imagine it being the most divisive track on the album.
Halcyon is a groovy fucker. It feels like a good summary of Spiritbox’s approach to songwriting as a whole, with the soft airy vocals and delay-soaked melody lines followed by heavy and huge guitars. It’s a cheeky wee bugger; it starts off relatively accessible but transforms into something sinister and dark. Halcyon gets pissy. The breakdown is heavy enough to kill a rhino.
Circle With Me is similar to Halcyon in the way it neatly compromises all the ways that make Spiritbox great. Memorable hooks, vocal lines and riffs make it a great entry point to the band. Album closer Constance is a sobering way to end Eternal Blue. An emotional track about losing someone to dementia, the emotional impact is profound (check out the music video if you haven’t already). It’ll make a tear appear in even the most stone-hearted man’s eye. The melody is hauntingly beautiful and the ending guitar spiralling into a chaotic, confusing and violent conclusion is the cherry on the top of the album.
Spiritbox have set the foundations for what will likely be the next decade’s worth of progressive metalcore, and this is partially due to their production. Eternal Blue is absolute in its approach to being tight and heavy while giving time to let the beauty soak through. I don’t use this word lightly, but the production is perfect. Every vocal line sits incredibly well in the mix, guitars sound absolutely gargantuan in size, the bass lands with every strike and the drums kick you in the genitals when they need to.
In terms of writing, the band rarely falters. There are certainly less memorable tracks and some elements that aren’t as strong as others, but nothing falls into the ‘filler’ category. There are motifs that appear a number of times which feel intentional to tie the album together, but at times the instrumentation does teeter on the line of sounding repetitive. In the majority of cases, the following section or track adds enough new style to escape sound boring or unoriginal.
The crushing breakdown of Silk in the Strings, the sheer weight of Constance, the entire song that is Holy Roller: these are all highlights in an album that is a turning point in the metal landscape as we know it. Spiritbox have forged forward through the sea of mediocre bands and shown the new generation how it’s done. As a debut album, it shows a maturity far beyond the majority of their peers. There are elements that don’t fully live up to the standards of the best moments, but they are fleeting. Eternal Blue is an essential listen for any fan of heavy music, and will likely be referenced for many years to come as an influencing force on the next generation of metal musicians. 
(4.5 / 5)
