Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
It doesn’t seem like five minutes since Dallas’ Fit For A King were gracing us with their last album, Deathgrip. But it appears that they want to waste no time in getting out another record. This time, they’ve given us Dark Skies to sink our teeth into. A lot of people certainly all seem to be enjoying it already: Dark Skies has already amassed over one million streams in the first week of its release.
This four piece metalcore band impressed me on their last round with their morbidity and passion. This time, I was pretty much blown away by this band’s versatility within the metalcore genre, and each members’ talents in their respective field.
Album opener “Engraved” does an amazing job of showing off guitarist Bobby Lynge’s skills: his riffs are the foundations of this particular track. Jared Easterling’s clean vocals also compliment the melodic metalcore, though I must commend Ryan Kirby for having mastered how to scream whilst also ensuring that you can actually hear his words.
“Price of Agony” has excellent drum work from Easterling once again – finally a metalcore band who doesn’t rely on thrash drums to carry their tune. This one is also a fine example of how to do a longer track: FFAK break up this five minute marathon with changes in mood, so that nothing gets stale throughout its entirety.
I didn’t realise “When Everything Means Nothing” was a single until after I’d listened to this album all the way through, but as soon as I found out I knew it made perfect sense. This stunning song might verge a little more on the hardcore rather than pure metal, but its heart-wrenching lyrical content (“…everything feels like a hurricane…”) and delightfully heavy bridges might make it a good Heavy Metal 101 class for those less into the genre. It’s good to dabble in new things, anyway.
Meanwhile, for people who want to get stuck into some purer metal, fear not: “Tower of Pain” might just be what you need. It’s fast, angry, and very screamy. Maybe personally I’d prefer a little more variation in style during a song, but I’m sure it’ll be someone’s cup of tea.
If, however, you’ve maybe had a long day and want to listen to some metalcore, but also would like to have a relaxing moment with a hot drink and some breathing exercises, I may recommend “Debts of the Soul.” This a song which somehow manages to be soulful within the unclean vocals. This much mellower track might give you whiplash within the rest of the album, but it’s so beautiful I don’t thnk anyone could be mad at it.
“Oblivion” rounds off the album in classic Fit For A King style: metalcore and melodies. They’re able to incorporate all of the genres they dipped their toe into to create their own unique metal sound. Accept no substitutes: come straight to Fit For A King for the authentic experience.
Buy and stream Dark Skies (on whichever platform you prefer) now.
Find Fit For a King on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Official Site
Watch the powerful video for “Oblivion” below:
You can catch Fit For A King on tour supporting The Devil Wears Prada this month.
