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The Word Alive - Life Cycles

Yeah, this lot are good. Trust.

Rating: 8

Arizona’s The Word Alive cut through the chaff of metalcore like a proverbial knife through butter on ‘Life Cycles’. It may not be pushing the boundaries, keeping much of the stylisations of the band’s debut, but the sum really is as great as all of its parts. The title track sees Tyler Smith’s vocals form moments of distinct delicacy before effortlessly descending full throttle into sheer aggression, while on ‘Ambitionary’ an array of samples smoothly flow into intricate riffs. It’s these refined layers of sound that create highlights ‘Entirety’ and ‘For Your Health’, and which collectively push The Word Alive towards the top of an ever-competitive pile.

Matt Higgs