Boiling emotions, earth-shattering riffs, technical aptitude and dark personal themes – all of it defined the success of their first releases, and The Five Hundred have brought this and more to the latest piece of work, A World On Fire. Shifting the focus from personal struggles with mental health and addiction to the impending environmental apocalypse feels like a natural progression for the band, especially with the backdrop of the insanity that is a global pandemic. The Five Hundred have locked themselves in the studio for six months, diving deep into the abyss of the generation-defining crisis. The result is an absolutely ferocious record, filled with larger-than-life bangers, avalanche of emotions and a powerhouse delivery.
Kicking off with ‘Black Dogs’, the first single released just a few months into the first wave of the pandemic, the track explores isolation and its detrimental effects on society’s collective mental health. Vocalist John Woods-Ely bursts in furiously, kicking the door down with his scorching vocals, accompanied by the sizzling guitars. It’s perhaps the loudest, angriest and most dramatic entrance one might encounter this summer. Thematically, the track almost serves as a crossing bridge between the band’s previous work, focused mainly on personal struggles and the new cycle, dedicated to, well, a world on fire.
Second track and the follow-up single ‘The Rising Tide’ then switches the focus to environmental apocalypse and imagines the sinking world as a consequence of global warming. With soft crashing waves in the intro, heartfelt vocals and a beautiful guitar solo make this track the pinnacle of melodic melancholy on the record. It’s an outcry into the darkness of impending catastrophe, the elements masterfully portray the hopelessness and inevitability of the coming disaster.
The heaviest and screamiest part of the album follows the opening singles. Here The Five Hundred unleash all the angst and horror they discovered having faced the apocalypse. ‘Warmth’ comes crashing down with John’s primal screeches, easing down for the short chorus, only to explode again 15 seconds later. A softer bridge finally gives a chance to grasp for air.
Bang in the middle of the album come two collaborations – ‘Walls of Jericho’ featuring Andreas Bjulver of Cabal and ‘Your Apocalypse’ featuring Jeremy Gomez of Red Method, a fresh name in UK horror-metal. Both tracks contain absolutely deafening vocals from both the frontman and support, alongside some proper technical shredding.
‘With Scars’ and ‘Our Agony’ do not let up a second and keep the pace going at 100 miles an hour. The record finally slows down a touch with ‘Agony’, coming in with almost Sempiternal-era BMTH vocals and then switching it up to a screamed chorus for a change.
The final and title track ‘A World On Fire’ encapsulates the spirit of the record along with the general mood around the world really. Humanity is at the point where deep down everyone comes to recognize the reality of the negative impact people have on the world. The aftermath of this epiphany goes one of three ways – guilt, anger or desperation, and The Five Hundred explore all these paths in full measure on the record. The track finishes with the open questions of whether it’s too late, leaving the listener to decide for themselves.
Many a metalcore band has turned to the subject of looming environmental catastrophe in recent years – Architects, In Hearts Wake, Fit For An Autopsy to name a few. The genre seems to be the perfect vehicle for such a message, it has the capacity to express the rage, the urgency and serve a loud slap to the face. It also appeals to the younger audience, just the people who can action the changes needed.
‘A World On Fire’ is a solid piece of work, executed with the necessary force and courage for such a subject. The album contains enough bangers to fill the metal party playlist with, at the same time serving some of their heaviest tracks to date. The enormous sound The Five Hundred introduced in their first work has only got bigger with this record. They have upgraded the tested formula with catchier choruses and a variety of strong singles, which will undoubtedly expand their audience and spread the word further. Nottingham’s finest continue their ascent into the top echelons of the UK metal scene, one crashing breakdown at the time.