Lightworker’s How the Beautiful Decay is out now.
To kick off the record we have Hellscape, which starts with slow fade-in before vocalist Joe Calderon kicks us in the face with the lyrics ‘This is where the vultures pick the scraps from our bones’.
A massive introduction track to give us an idea of the insanity this record will take us on. It’s heavy, it’s melodic, it’s everything this band does in one package.
Next, we have the lead single First Light; which is the song that turned me into a fan of the band. The song builds up beautifully before kicking off into a nostalgic metalcore riff by guitarist Grayson Hurd, but the song really explodes in the second half.
Changing up the typical song structure you’d expect, the breakdown kicks off with Joe belting out ‘I’m giving up on me’ before breaking it down even further and slower to finish.
Later we have Mea Culpa, which pairs up with Wolves at the Gate and Fallujah. Drummer Ryan Johnson wastes no time setting the pace for the track. Steve Cobucci adding some beautiful vocal harmonies to the chorus while Kyle Schaefer destroys the bridge section with pure aggression.
In the latter half we have Blurred Vision and How the Beautiful Decay. Which shows the other side of the range the band has. Blurred Vision being an anthemic sing-along moment on the record with a chorus that’ll be stuck in your head for days.
How The Beautiful Decay slows things down for a mesmerising and beautiful conclusion to the record. Thematically and sonically, it’s definitely a more hopeful sounding track that shows what a closing track on an album should be.
Lightworker have really created something special on their sophomore LP. It’s a project that’s going to get a lot of eyes on them and rightfully so. They aren’t reinventing any wheels here, but they’re taking an effective formula and nailing it in distinguished fashion. How the Beautiful Decay was released on Friday, April 19 through Solid State Records.
8/10
Pick up a physical copy/merch for the record here: www.lightworkerband.com/merch and don’t forget to check them out on Dreamwake’s Spring Fling USA Tour