Review Summary: When I fall asleep, do I dare to dream?
The amount of changes LA based metalcore band Volumes has gone through is remarkable, for fortunate or unfortunate reasons. Starting out with Carvins and a dream, seems like only yesterday that
VIA came out, to this reviewer. Bordering on the razor-thin edges of prog and metalcore, the band tuned it's sound from
VIA to be more and more emotional and dialed back.
No Sleep leaned into the perks of having two vocalists, at times rearranging their rhythm to be simpler, which somehow accentuated the Deftones and hip-hop inspired vocalists' churled growls with down-tempo breakdowns. Many who follow this band know the history since then, Michael Barr leaving the band to pursue pop, Myke Terry being recruited, Gus getting kicked out of the band along with his brother Diego, the regrettable death of Diego, and then Barr returning. Max Schad has since picked up the guitar for their next two releases, the first being
Happier?, which felt a welcome return to the Volumes sound of old, at times touching upon the brighter and emotional tendencies of
VIA, while also leaning into the groovier and bass heavy timings of
No Sleep. Myke Terry has been a solid addition to the band, showing his prowess in singing and in the focused shouts that keep the momentum going with Barr, bouncing off each other at just the right time.
History lesson over.
Mirror Touch is a direct follow up to
Happier? much in the sense that S.O.A.D's
Hypnotize is to
Mesmerize. Not in the way concept albums are meant to be constructed, but more-so in the way that both albums seem to bounce off each other thematically. I feel like Barr's presence in the band encourages the concept material to be rather simple: thematically and ambiguously bright and emotional, while also being heavy. Still down-tuned, still bass-heavy, still bringing in the interesting drum patterns and fills done in tasteful ways that never distract from the sheer glossy grooviness of it all. Only now, we have a lot more of what this band didn't bring us before, not nearly as much in comparison to anything prior to
Happier?: singing. I'd say a solid 60% of this release is singing. Whether it's done tastefully or not, I personally say yes, but nothing quite reaches out and grabs you. I'm quite quaint with hooks in California and Worth it, both surprising changes of pace for this band. Gave me whiplash a bit that instantly reminded me of the T/T for Via, one of the best songs I've ever heard with my stupid little ears. Dream is easily the most melodic and transporting song on this release. But we're not really transported like we used to be. If I'd have to pinpoint the problem, it's the realization that this band has settled in to the djent-core sound we've come to know over the last 10 years, and with bands like Spiritbox and Poppy, and yes, even Sleep Token, making billboards, this sound just seems to be what sells tickets, and this band has doubled down on that easily accessible sound.
The heavy elements, and yeah there's a lot of them, play really well with this bright runtime, however. Down-tuned guitars are obviously this band's forte, has been since the beginning. So are wonderfully clean chord progressions that gush with echo and atmosphere, powerful belts of emotional shouts over beautifully constructed rhythms and guitar tones. There's no shortage of any of that here. However, we do see them leaning more into hooks that, while bright and usually accentuate the low tuned melodies of the rhythm guitar, just don't seem to let up when they should. They get annoying i.e Bad Habit and Stitch, whereas I'd much rather have my potatoes separated from my gravy, so-to-speak. But goddamn, when the vocals come together with the guitar and drums so in tempo with each other, it just sends me. Stitch is still a great song, along with Worth It and Suffer On. There's definitely something worth desiring with
Mirror Touch, but if you just like the classic Volumes combination of low and heavy brrr interrupted by poppier vocals with trippy atmosphere and head-banging grooves and transitions, you'll find quite a bit to like here.
Overall,
Mirror Touch is probably going to be more divisive than
Happier? and I already understand the problems someone would have with it. It's benign, it's lacking the soul we used to get from this band, it's short and uncompelling. It's also a solid entry for a band that's long since been obscure within this genre for most of its' running career, adapting to change after change and still trying to come up with something new and personal. To this day I'm very grateful of Barr's return to restore some of the long-lost vision this band used to have, and with their current line-up, I'm overall satisfied with
Mirror Touch. This album brings some of the best Volumes has always had to offer while keeping things fresh and unanticipated, save for some of the poppier elements that drone on at times.
