Review: Varials – Where The Light Leaves
Buckle up, these breakdowns are gonna kick your ass, I know they kicked mine.
I’ve been a Varials fan since the release of their Pain Again album released back in 2017 and have thoroughly enjoyed both of the records they’ve released since then. When I saw a promo email come through for a new project from them, I knew I had to get in on that action. Varials definitely have their own unique style; the closest thing I can think to compare them to is Converge mixed with a slam band, with hardcore-infused metal grooves and absolutely insane breakdowns. Those breakdowns were the thing that got me into the band initially, I just can’t get enough head-empty, knuckle-dragging slam fests mixed with hardcore vocals. They also always do something interesting with the guitar tone with different sounds and textures for each record. Pain Again had an almost surgically precise sound, almost a bit djenty, In Darkness was smothered in gain, had a bit of a bass shelf going on, and was sunken a bit deeper into the mix, and Scars For You To Remember had a bit more of a metalcore sound with some HM-2 mixed in for flavor. This record continues that trend: the guitar has the same crunch and fuzz to it that it had in Scars For You To Remember mixed with some scooped mids, and they pushed it all the way to the front of the mix this time. In my opinion this record is the most visceral and brutal sounding of anything they’ve released thus far. Enough of me nerding out about guitar tones though, you guys want to hear about the music and I plan on delivering.
The album starts with the title track, an eerie cacophony of sounds with ambient synths and the occasional guitar rake. This doesn’t last long though as at under a minute in it immediately slams into a breakdown with guitars tuned so low they hit like trucks and a stomping slam beat to accompany the vocalist’s screams. This then transitions into the second track “No Lie Untouched” and it hits all of the marks: it has fast hardcore-laced sections, ridiculous breakdowns that Varials are known for, atmospheric synth cuts all supplying just the amount of intensity you’d hope for a song like this to give. This is the same story as a lot of the other tracks on this record, I wouldn’t say they’re doing anything particularly outlandish or unique but what they do, they do really well. Constant stank-faced headbanging and violent mosh pits, that’s the world Varials seems to thrive best in. Every track here will kick you in the balls, insult you, and tell you to fuck off, yet you’ll thank them for it every time.
Sonically this record is enormous, everything is at minimum triple tracked and pushed right to the edge of clipping, it’s completely unapologetic with its brutality. It’s loud, it’s violent, and it’s a ton of fun to listen to. The only thing that could beat the listening experience would be hearing it live, those crowds have got to be some of the most dangerous in the modern metal scene, at least if the sound of the music is anything to go by. If you’re looking for the King 810 experience without the cringe lyrics and MAGA inspirations this is the band for you. On another note, bands like these tend to get stale after a while, while the absolute brutality is fun it can get boring if that’s the only ground they ever cover; fortunately that is not the case here. The 7th song on the record “[wouldyoufollowme]” placed smack dab in the center of the record brings the energy down as a sort of palate cleanser which is much appreciated in a record like this one, where songs that sound similar can kind of start to blend together. The band definitely knew that could be a problem and accounted for it which goes to show just how much thought and attention to detail they put into their art.
I don’t want to spoil too much about this record, there’s only a few singles out and it doesn’t release until the end of the month. My goal here is to make sure that if you’re like me and want more good brutal music recommendations, you hear about this album and give it the listen it deserves when it releases. What I will tell you is that this album is fantastic and will be one to keep on your radar this month. It’s a ton of fun, and particularly great to drive to. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have been.
4/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Where The Light Leaves releases February 27 through Fearless Records.
