Fit For A King - The Hell We Create

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Texas quintet FIT FOR A KING just released their 7^th full length studio album “The Hell We Create”, which was brought to fruition from personal events lead vocalist Ryan Kirby experienced though the pandemic. On top of everything we were all facing in the uncertainty of the world around us, Kirby and his wife adopted children, had to shift to homeschooling them, and nearly lost his wife due to a stroke. As we know, pain tends to breed art. Kirby shares that this album is “by far the deepest and most personal record we’ve ever written”.

Opening song and title track “The Hell We Create” comes in with a soft and steady buildup before layering in some stellar drum beats and a burst of scream-growl vocals. This pace and energy is carried through on riffs and into the next track “End”, until about a minute into the song when we are met with a melodic release of emotion. While the mid chorus feels pleading and broken, the track comes back with an aggressive forcefulness to perfectly tie it up. “Falling Through The Sky” provides a more anthem sort of atmosphere with a clear catchy tune that I’m sure will be a crowd pleaser at future shows. “Sink Below” brings us back to true metalcore with an opening of downturned distorted vocals transitioned into fast paced riffs and kicks, and of course giving a brutal pit-worthy breakdown before ending with a breather sing a long (pun not intended as the lyrics say “it’s getting hard to breathe”).

“Reaper” brings in the next quarter of songs with explosive screams. This might be one of my favorites on the album because it make you make THAT face, you know the one- like you just smelled something wild but it’s nasty in the best way. No melodic chorus here, just three minutes and nineteen seconds of breakdowns. “Times Like This” featuring Jonathon Vigil of THE GHOST INSIDE comes riffing in with an almost BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE á la “Tears Don’t Fall” intro before turning into that melody meets metal we know and love FFAK for. Keeping this energy for “Eyes Roll Back”-  and adding some tech/EDM qualities layered under more harsh vocals and well placed breakdowns. They say you can’t dance to metal,  yet this is a dance track for sure. This song ends in a moment of silence before “Fracture”, another slowed moment of emotion for the album where we can hear pain in the vocals. Don’t worry, they don’t leave you hanging and give you a heavy breakdown featuring a nearly ten second scream. “Reaching Out” follows suit with similar production, having a mostly softer pace and an anticipated breakdown near the end. “What You Left Behind” closes the album out with raw expression of pain and anger Kirby felt for his adopted children’s sordid pasts that is perfectly expressed through the lyrics, crunching riffs, and raging drums.

Was this album a “wow” moment introducing sounds never heard before? No. Is any metalcore album? Not really. Do I still love metalcore? Yes. Did Fit For A King put their whole heart and vulnerability into this album? Absolutely. And for that, it scores high in my book.

Songwriting: 9
Musicianship: 9
Memorability: 7
Production: 8