_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

It’s been a long time since we got a full-length release from Japanese metalcore icons Crystal Lake. After some line-up changes and a period of re-establishing themselves, the band are back with The Weight Of Sound.

While we have had singles being drip-fed to us since frontman John Centorrino took over on vocal duties, hearing everything packed as a whole is necessary for the band to step into this new era truly.

‘Everblack’ featuring Signs Of The Swarm frontman David Simonich. It’s a brutal way to start the release, but it is a strong reassurance that this band will not lose their edge. Right away, we are hit with a crushing riff, plus a nice little bleugh. There is no atmosphere building, no gentle pulling us in, and honestly, I really dig that. Hit us straight away with the heaviness and, in true metalcore fashion, give us a pretty, melodic chorus. With many of the band’s singles that have vocal features, I haven’t felt they were truly necessary. In fact, I want to hear all of what Centorrino can do. Might as well bring it up now. There will always be the elephant in the room, and comparison with the band’s former vocalist, Ryo Kinoshita, will be happening for some time, so I think having him show his skills and strengths alone would have been the best move.

Despite this opinion, though, the song slaps and flows very seamlessly into ‘BludGod’. A single that came out some time ago, when it was released, I found myself pretty lukewarm about it, but hearing it in the context of an album and giving it some time to marinate, it carries a lot more weight (no pun intended). The deep gutturals are nasty, and the soundscape is ridiculously epic. Drummer Gaku Taura sounds like he has five sets of arms and ten feet with carnage he can inflict behind the kit. This time, pun intended, if we were to measure the weight of the sound that his drumming puts forth, it would weigh several tonnes. Another feature. This time, Taylor Barber from Left To Suffer. A fantastic vocalist, and his feature is amazing, but what I do find with some of these features on this album (I’m nitpicking again) is that I desperately want Centorrino to establish his identity as a vocalist, so as great as the feature is, I don’t think it was needed. From what I’ve heard of his vocals (recorded and live), he can more than carry these songs alone. He has the chops, so let him take it on.

Yes. Another feature, this time with Myke Terry. Fantastic vocalist. Great feature. Let’s talk about this riff, though. Catchy as hell. Yudai ‘YD’ Miyamoto is a hell of a riff writer, and his work with TJ (Hisatsugu Taji) has been nothing short of impressive on the newer material. TJ is a newer addition to the band himself, officially joining in 2021 after the departure of original rhythm guitarist Shinya Hori. It is the kind of heavy that Crystal Lake does so well. They are extremely skilled at layering sound in a way that resembles a solid wall, but still allowing it to breathe. It isn’t too chunky. The riffs still shine. You can hear all the little moments. If you want a masterclass in classic modern metalcore songwriting, then this band have nailed it. This single was a fun one and was one of my favourites they have dropped in the lead up to this album.

As somebody who was originally introduced to TJ through his work with his former band Her Name In Blood, ‘King Down’ feels like he had a real hand in writing. It has more of a slutty metal feel in the verses and choruses, which is fun. The pick slides, the catchiness of the riffs and the overall pacing of the song give it a unique feel compared to the rest of the tracks. It is fun. It captures the notorious drinking and fun vibes that they have been known for on the road. Sleeper hit.

When I said textbook metalcore, you cannot get anymore cliche than having a song called ‘The Undertow’. Again, observation, not a dig because let’s face it, we metalcore fans really do love a little metalcore cliche. When I think of classic Crystal Lake, this is the sound that I think of. The stripped-down verses where the bass shines, and the guitars dance around and slowly build into a full-bodied chorus. You could slot this track back on previous releases like True North, and only the vocals would give it away. One thing I’ve noticed on this album, which I will touch on more as we progress, many of the tracks feel like “part two’s” of some Crystal Lake classics. This reminds me of ‘Mercury’ and ‘Sanctuary’.

Next up is our title track, and this is the perfect example of what I just mentioned. To me, this is ‘Apollo’ part two. I am not mad. I think more than anything, I am a little relieved. As a long-term Crystal Lake fan, I love that a band I fell so hopelessly in love with over the years and admittedly felt a little sceptical about after the departure of Ryo Kinoshita and Shinya Hori, can still capture that sound I like. It reminds me a little of Killswitch Engage. While the Howard Jones years will always in my heart be my favourite, I can still love and appreciate Jesse Leach (foreshadowing by the way). I know when I hear ‘The Weight of Sound’, I will be singing it loud, maybe not as loud as ‘Apollo’, but I will still be loud.

Now let’s get to my favourite song Crystal Lake has dropped since ‘Watch Me Burn’. ‘Crossing Nails’ has been in and out of my head since the second it dropped. I find myself singing the chorus in random moments, and it still hits every single time I play it. It is going to be a circle pit anthem. That guitar squeal, the breakdown…every single moment of this song is an absolute JOY. Going in, I wondered if this would be my favourite song on the record, and I have to say it still is. No need for features. It is Crystal Lake at their best and shining with this group of musicians. I apologise in advance to anybody who will be standing next to me at their live shows when they play this.

A callback to Jesse Leach. ‘Dystopia’. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the original, when it was released back in 2023, I don’t remember the Killswitch Engage frontman being featured on it. I could be mistaken, but as you may have realised throughout this review, I have kept pretty strong tabs on Crystal Lake over the years. This is the song that gave us one of our first tastes of the new official lineup, and as I’ve reckoned with my feelings over the lineup changes (sometimes you cannot help it), the song has grown on me. From the start, though, the line ‘I just want to feel like shit because it feels like home’ has resonated deeply. This song has always sounded like a flow on from the band’s previous album Helix, and it is like a closing of a chapter and stepping into a new one. Leach’s feature here is lovely, so despite my previous statements, I am very happy with this one.

The last three songs are brand new to our ears, and when a band drops so many singles, it always has me nervous that the remaining ones will just feel like filler. That is not the case with these. ‘Sinner’, while it does not possess a huge breakout single quality to it, has its place. From the depths of despair that come through in ‘Dystopia’, ‘Sinner’ still has a melancholic feel to it, but less dark. There is a brightness that resembles that feeling of just surrendering to your pain and sadness. Like a relief. Permission to feel.

‘Don’t Breathe’ continues this feeling and brings it up on the heaviness scale. The second chorus takes an interesting turn sonically, with its stop-start, almost djenty style, and once we hit the pre-breakdown, the drums take front and centre before descending into a brutal breakdown. It is probably the biggest nod to current metalcore trending sounds, but it is still done in such a Crystal Lake. People forget that this band has been around since 2002, so while there have been very significant line-up changes over the years, they still maintain that identity and sound.

Finishing on a softer note again is such a metalcore cliche, and they have leaned right into it with ‘Coma Wave’. This gives John a real moment to showcase his lyrics, because it is something he brings to the table quite formidable. Again, as it builds, it erupts into something so powerful, giving the guitars a real place front and centre. While the album started abruptly, it takes its time leading us out. Building up, stripping back down and letting us take in everything we have just listened to.

Letting us just take in that we have been hit with The Weight Of Sound.

It is clear they took their time with this album.

They gave themselves time to wrestle with their identity. To stay true to who they were while still honouring the new voices and influences being brought to the table.

There was always going to be a comparison and I think they have followed up well.

This version of Crystal Lake may not hit with older fans, but at the same time, it hasn’t left us in the dust. Personally, this is saturated with so much of the Crystal Lake sound I fell in love with. It is not a carbon copy, though. They have not replaced anybody.

Regardless of your feelings about their past, as a metalcore fan, this album is enjoyable.

All I can say is I cannot wait to catch them live with this new music.

_{Crystal Lake’s The Weight Of Sound is out now via Century Media Records.}

_{Click here to listen.}

Aussie fans, Crystal Lake will be returning down under in May, supporting Of Mice & Men.

_{Tickets are onsale now, click here to grab them.}