Review Summary: When was the last time you looked at me with adoration?
What do you do when the egotistical lead guitarist of your band kicks you out? Well, you start a new band with your wife. The Artificials are a five-piece melodic metalcore band from Gadsden, Alabama, spearheaded by former Erra rhythm guitarist Alan Rigdon, along with his wife, Sarah. If you've listened to either of Erra's first two albums, you'll be familiar with the aggressive yet pleasant sounding riffs that Alan brought to the table in that band. Alan maintains a similar style of songwriting in The Artificials, but errs slightly more to the melodic side to accentuate his wife's singing.
All ten songs on
Heart are structured similarly – that is, they jump from one section or riff to the next without much repetition. This leaves every moment of the album feeling fresh, with something interesting – whether it be a knockout vocal line, a hypnotic breakdown, or a conclusive solo – happening at all times. As far as the instrumentation goes, the main focus is always the guitars, with the bassist and drummer endorsing every musical passage without ever trying to draw attention to itself. The relatively treble-heavy production also helps in this regard, promoting every melody and adding a nice spark to each note of some of Alan's (and Travis's!) more technical riffs.
But with as much praise as I can give to the songwriting and the guitars on
Heart, the aspect of the album that I am perpetually in awe of every time I listen is Sarah's vocals. For as rare as it is to see a metalcore band fronted by a strictly clean vocalist, Sarah navigates through the pulsating riffs and tempo changes with impressive ease. Her voice, nothing short of angelic, matches the poignant instrumentals with spellbinding harmonies and many memorable lines. The lyrics, composed entirely by Sarah, focus mainly on her faith in God, as well as the ups and downs she's had with her spirituality.
The only gripe I have with the vocals, and the album as a whole, is Alan's monotone screams, which he inserts on occasion during the heavier moments of the album. I sometimes think that if he were to show more range instead of delivering the same exact mid-pitch scream every single time, then I would be okay with his need to put his vocals into the music; but on the other hand, even if he were a better vocalist, his wife is such a talented singer that I still think I'd want him to just stick to the guitar, and let Sarah do her thing. Regardless, there are a few moments on the album that I do think his screams are well-implemented, including on the very first riff of the opener
Soul Catcher, and in tandem with former Erra vocalist Garrison Lee on
In the Hollow.
Heart, the name of which is located in T
he Artificials, comes as a response from a musician who refused to give up on what he loves, even after being let go from a band that he had put so much time and effort into. With his wife as his backbone and his friends by his side, Alan crafted a gem of progressive metalcore that will likely continue to be overlooked by many fans of the genre. With the responsibilities of fatherhood upon Alan and Sarah (it appears from the latter's Instagram that she has just birthed her second), it is uncertain whether a full-length follow-up will ever happen. But for anyone who craves more Erra-like music in the style of
Impulse and
Augment, if you can get behind the bashful Sarah in place of the almighty Garrison,
Heart will not disappoint.
