Kill the Lights – Death Melodies (Fearless Records)

Friday, 1st March 2024 By Katarina McGinn

Rating: 8.5/10

A group that was easily to check off all of the ‘supergroup’ status boxes on, Kill the Lights contains ex/members of Bullet for my Valentine, Still Remains, Threat Signal, and Throw the Fight, and as such, their debut, The Sinner, still managed to exceed the expectations that such massive project exudes. They did this, of course, by sticking to music that could still find appeal with all of the groups that the members stemmed from, while retaining a flair that was unique to Kill the Lights. They captured metalcore, added in some rock touches, and turned it into a strong album that felt fun and upbeat, yet carried enough heaviness that the metallic edge wasn’t lost. Death Melodies follows up on all of those same qualities, one-ups them, and makes the band even more palatable to those inside the modern metal circle but even those outside the metallic realms, without any compromise to their vision.

‘Hooks for days’ is probably about the quickest way to describe Death Melodies briefly. It doesn’t matter if it’s a heavier or more melodic track, both of which wrestle for dominance on the album in a glorious battle, because you’ll be treated to a handful of things over the course of each track that will keep you coming back to them, and remembering the album once you finish it up. It’s hard to pick a highlight in that regard, because the band is so good at embedding memorable moments that you can pilfer one around each corner. You get more aggressive, metalcore-esque gold like “Wasting Away,” “Hear You Scream,” and “Scapegoat,” where more urgent and blazing riffs alongside bellowing shouts grab your attention and all but explode into soaring melodies that hit with powerful grooves and vocals. But they can skirt the metallic edges with uptempo rock numbers like “Broken Bones” or “From Ashes” that retain the chunky riffs but start to widen the band’s appeal outside a solely metallic audience with ease due to the aforementioned hooks among the thrilling melodies. Look no further than “Sleep with the Devil” if you want to hear a cut that could easily make the act sit among the elite of this modern metalcore crossover market if it’s given the right outlet – it’s a poignant melodic cut that really showcases the melodic side of Kill the Lights and fully deserving of it’s status as a single.

Death Melodies has all the right ingredients to make Kill the Lights a massive name in the modern metal community. They’ve managed to craft something that expands upon their sound in all directions, yet still maintains a high degree of consistency. If you favor melodic hooks with just enough heaviness and aggression behind them, you are bound to be pleasantly surprised by what Kill the Lights can do, if you’ve been below their radar so far.