Review Summary: Until they start building on their established formula in a meaningful way, we’ll have to settle for “merely great”.
Twenty-five years ago, The Birthday Massacre settled on their signature sound. It was a sound based on industrial electronics, chunky riffs, 80s electro-pop, and even a little accessible goth. Since then, that signature style has served as the foundation for all their albums. Unfortunately, since settling on that sound, the only real change has been the gradual removal of their more abrasive elements in favor of expanding on the electro-pop. While that evolution has still produced a consistently strong discography, it has also led to a string of very similar albums — all of which lack the edge that initially made the band stand out. With the release of
Pathways, it appears that The Birthday Massacre are finally ready to escape from their self-imposed rut.
Pathways feels like a genuine effort to recapture the sound that drew many of us in, delivering their most guitar-driven and dynamic album in years.
If you haven’t checked out the two pre-release singles — “Sleep Tonight” and “All of You” —you should fix that immediately. Both tracks feature everything that made The Birthday Massacre’s early work so compelling while also benefiting from fifteen years of additional songwriting experience. On
Pathways, the band fully restore the piercing synths, rhythmic electronics, and guitar-driven energy that defined
Violet while still retaining the catchier melodicism they have been refining in their modern era. As exciting as it is to hear a fuller, more fully realized version of The Birthday Massacre's sound, it’s not even the most remarkable thing about
Pathways. What really stands out is how distinct each song feels. There’s the dancefloor-ready title track with its infectious, sing-along chorus; “Whisper,” which contrasts a dreamy atmosphere with harsh vocals; and “Wish,” a track that leans fully into 80s electro-pop. Notably, every song has its own identity, each delivering The Birthday Massacre’s complete formula in different ways, and that variety is a refreshing and welcome shift.
The Birthday Massacre isn’t one of my most-played artists for nothing. Even with the overall sameness across their discography, they’ve consistently delivered high-quality music. That said, I truly believe they have a Disintegration-level album in them—if only they’d push themselves to innovate again. Still, setting that dream aside, I’m genuinely glad that
Pathways not only restored the overt industrial influences, but that the band also managed to create an album as diverse as it is. That said, until they start building on their established formula in a meaningful way, I think we’ll have to settle for “merely great” from a band I truly believe is capable of more. At the very least,
Pathways offers the full The Birthday Massacre experience again—one that results in a more dynamic and varied collection of songs than we’ve had in quite a while.
