By Georgia Smith
LA rockers Stitched Up Heart’s third album ‘To The Wolves’ is a thunderously catchy, relentlessly heavy masterclass in the different stylistic directions that an exploration into heavier music can take. Subtle style switches and an array of vocal performances mean these anthemic, chorus-focused tracks not only translate well into whichever form Stitched Up Heart’s sound takes, but into the renowned live performances that have forged such a strong bond between this band and its fans.
Earlier success for Stitched Up Heart with their previous albums ‘Never Alone’ (2016) and ‘Darkness’ (2020), tracks from which saw acclaim with rotations on the top ten Billboard Heatseeker and Hard Rock playlists, along with acclaim for the intensity of their live performances means this LA four-piece are in prime position to confidently explore an evolution in their now well-established sound. ‘To The Wolves’, with its subtle stylistic progressions, roaring vocals carrying anthemic choruses atop thunderous, rasping guitars, is both a triumphant foray past the boundaries of their earlier work and an embrace of their well-established previous style.
The melodic vocals of frontwoman Alecia Demner erupt onto this record from the very start of the titular opening track ‘To The Wolves’, and immediately set the tone for the album as one of empowerment, anger – the darker concepts that Stitched Up Heart had set out to explore, but with an undeniable confidence that sounds effortless. The catchy hook- heralded by guttural heavy vocals- even before these songs have been toured, makes it easy to see why live performance is Stitched Up Heart’s greatest asset. The call-and-response element to ‘The Architect’ and the forefronted vocals on ‘Dead Inside’ make it impossible not to imagine the fan response in a live venue, the tracks lending themselves perfectly to the melodic, self-assured sound, and in response the roared lyrics of a dedicated fanbase gifted a deliciously catchy hook to join in with.
The final parting track ‘The End’ has arguably the catchiest, most assured chorus of the album, where the heaviness of their rock and metal influences seeps beneath lighter, anthemic hooks. ‘Conquer and Divide’ blends a hollow, portentous guitar sound and synth-style vocals to build to a rousing choral drop that is bound to have their crowds bouncing. The stand out vocals on track 10 ‘Part of Me’ retain this same catchiness and accessibility even on a slower track, and display the myriad skills of Demner as she meanders through harsher vocals, slower almost spoken-word styles, and the eponymous anthemic sound. Stitched Up Heart’s choruses are the strongest element on this album; a constant reminder of the band’s core and soul.
Despite the multitude of influences Stitched Up Heart call upon- hard rock, industrial, alternative metal- the album remains refreshing and original. The dramatic, aptly thunderous riffs in ‘Thunder’ have an invigorating sense of newness, while the breakdown on ‘Taste For Blood’ retains a striking originality in its pushing beyond simply power chords and rampant drums. Subtle electronic elements and unusual guitar phrases keep the track fresh and interesting, whilst the guttural rhythm makes the head banging in response involuntary. Its creepy and evocative whispered vocals speak to the originality and personality of Stitched Up Heart and the sense of identity they have injected into their newest release- always behind the backdrop of their deeply heavy, relentless wall of sound.
‘Possess Me’ is possibly the heaviest track on the album, with layered harsh vocals and a creepy, synth-y opening carrying gothic inspired lyrics. Rising harsh vocals are driving, rousing, whilst the fresh nastiness of the guitars gives way to the most powerful breakdown of the album; an absolute explosion of heaviness bound to summon the pit once it’s played live. The track ensures that regardless of the catchiness, or the lighter choruses of ‘To The Wolves’, the band firmly cements themselves within the capabilities of the furthest reaches of the genre. ‘Immortal’ leads on, with its almost post-emo hardcore blend of fast harsh vocals and speedier guitar than previously seen. The fast, low guitars and the incessant nature of the vocals carries the albums message of darkness exploration, whilst ensuring an impressive range of style and sound is showcased.
Stitched Up Heart have explored every nook and cranny of rock music on this latest album, pushing into spaces and discovering the elements that their earlier works may have overlooked. Subtle electronics, varieties of vocal offerings, and capitalisation on the ebb and flow of the rocky sound to create deeply heavy breakdowns infuse the album with a sense of indubitable originality, whilst staying true enough to genre roots that it hits all the marks. Carried throughout by the anthemic choruses and catchy vocals that fans have come to expect of the band, ‘To The Wolves’ is an entirely unafraid, thunderous, alluring new offering bound to only strengthen the bonds of fans and band, and the band’s confidence in their own strength of sound.
- ‘To The Wolves‘ is released today (Friday 1 September).
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