Review Summary: You build this, just to tear it down.
There's something to be said about listening to an album that you know will be the last music a band ever produces. I think of it similarly to when you spend those final days with a good friend that will be moving somewhere far away to a place that you will likely never follow them to. You perceive things differently in the moment and it's no different here with The Mire's latest and unexpectedly final release
Vice Regalia. With that knowledge in mind, one cannot help but feel a sense of finality in the tone of the music as it plays along.
Interestingly enough, where most bands would use a final album to walk all the familiar places they've been before and celebrate their core sound, The Mire use these final five songs to explore and expand upon what they've built. It is so becoming of the band to do this too, they never did release the same album twice. Each of their albums has a distinct flavour that sets it apart from the rest. From the polished melodic post-metal vibe of
Volume II to the gurgling sludgy feel of
Glass Cathedrals, this band was obviously not satisfied with running through the motions. The major adjustments to the sound on
Vice Regalia can be heard right from the get-go on opener "Hell Libertine". When the song cuts off from the opening string section, a thrashy black metal percussion becomes the most prominent instrument the listener will notice throughout the album. The risk the band takes here is that they introduce it too quickly and it's tough to say whether it works or not. While it does give the music a suitable burst of energy, it feels at times like it overpowers the guitars and harsh vocals, which is what was giving their music its impact before. The harsh vocals are intentionally drowned out a bit too. Other notable additions include the band stepping into ambient and almost poppy territory on the dream-like "Rain Gallery", which serves as an interlude of sorts to set up for the final eponymous title track. There's a female vocal presence on the song as well. Even on the album's centrepiece and most nostalgic-sounding track "Gaslighter", the guitars are dialled back compared to the crushing walls of sound this band used to play. Everything (barring the drums) feels just a bit more tamed.
The Mire embrace change though, and
Vice Regalia benefits from this more than it's hindered by it. There are enormous moments on here just like with all of their releases. "Gaslighter" is the clear standout. Its well-paced and murky post-metal sound is everything this band is about; expertly fusing all the elements of the soft and harsh vocals, the guitar, and drums together to create a masterful performance. The ending to "Circle of Manias" is stunningly powerful, with some frantic electronics in the background to close the song off. The use of strings in many of the tracks also gives the album that much more of an epic feel.
I'll always wonder what happened during the recording of this EP to spur such a spontaneous decision from the band. But nonetheless it's an EP that the band can thankfully look back upon and be happy with. It is unfortunately not the kind of "mic-dropping" sendoff one would have hoped for, but it certainly won't tarnish the band's stellar reputation and offers some of the best vocal performances from the band to date, especially with the clean vocals. It's a shame to see the band go so early on in their careers. The life of a band is not for everyone, especially since the vast majority really don't make any money. But whatever caused this to happen, fans can rest assured it didn't affect the quality of their output in the end. Farewell, The Mire.
