The Metalcore heavyweights promised to be releasing their most visceral, relentless and ambitious record to date whilst incorporating experimentation within their most personal songs so far in their musical careers with Deadlock, and for the most part they’ve done just that. Across the album, feelings of self-doubt, frustration and fear are explored to give a poignant sense of the feelings that we all may have felt over the last several years. Conceived and self-recorded by the band in lockdown and mixed by producer Joe Graves, Deadlock is the band’s most complete statement to date, one that promises to showcase their hunger and promise.
Opener ‘The 6 6 9’ presents a subdued start before the chaotic whirlwind ensues with Vocalist Ben Ville announcing his arrival with the aptly timed “You must have lost your fucking mind”. It’s a bouncy energetic opening that flits between time signatures and vocal styles with a sporadic nature that moves effortlessly between faster thrashier sections and atmospheric ones.
‘Half Life’ brings the energy of All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us era Architects and is the first real sign of the band’s shift in sound, relying less on relentless heaviness and powering through multiple breakdowns and instead bringing sonic elements and defined choruses to allow for a different kind of heavy. ‘Annihilis’” shows further change in the band’s sound following its opening verse, with a chorus that is clearly their most melodic to date it is a seismic shift that doesn’t sound out of place or jarring in any way. Opting for more ambient breakdowns that include synths InVisions instead use the track to drop elements of their heaviness into the lighter song, it’s both brash and bold.
‘D V P E’ carries a dark and poignant message. Lyrically it talks of the frustration and pain that can occur when you are trying to help someone that doesn’t want to help themselves. Sonically it’s spine-shattering with unwavering riffs and an unrelenting breakdown, it isn’t a shift in terms of their overall sound but delivers a hell of a punch.
Other highlights on the album include the title track which includes riff mastery and more dissonant drumming. In the bridge there is a switch up of style to move from melodic metal to deathcore vocals, it’s punchy and a welcomed throwback for fans. Meanwhile ‘D E A L E R’ doubles down on the ambience in its verse structure stripping back it’s musical elements to allow the vocals to carry it. This creates an even bigger explosion into the chorus which hits with venom and velocity.
The inclusion of ambient respite in an album this heavy is always appreciated and it changes up the tempo enough to give a moment for reflection. “Inertia” does exactly that prior to closing song ‘Fall With Me’ which hits with what feels like an extra injection of emotion complimented by a mildly softened vocal tone. The final minute and a half build to drop a heavy breakdown underneath the beautifully sleek guitar tones which feels like the perfect juxtaposition of the band’s sonic progression.
On InVisions’ third record they set out to ambitiously craft an album that pushes the boundaries in terms of their own sound and they have achieved that. It’s sonically expansive, brilliantly produced and it doesn’t sound as though the band have stepped outside of their comfort zone at all even though this is a big leap. Whilst InVision aren’t breaking new ground and there is still some way to go before they distance themselves from the saturation within UK metalcore, this definitely feels like they have opened the door to vision and by doing so you have to be excited about what we will see on future releases for the band.