Boston-based rock collective Mission To Sleep have a sound that is melodic and catchy while simultaneously raw and unsettling, creating a style that has garnered critical success, sold out shows, and placements on notable soundtracks. They’ve just released their brand new album, A Spark Or The End, a collection of seven songs that showcase the band’s evolution since their previous EPs.
“We set out to write songs that live on the edge between beauty and chaos,” says the band of the new album. “Where hope and heartbreak blur, and every moment can either ignite or collapse.”
A Spark Or The End kicks off in an explosive way with the first song, “No Anchor”. Huge riffs and hard drums, with melodic vocals to strike the perfect balance. If this is your first introduction to Mission To Sleep, it’s sure to hook you in. “Designer Graves” keeps the heaviness going, with a mellower style to the vocals and a bit of a heavy shoegaze feel overall. There’s a palpable emotion to this one, which makes for a really compelling song. Next up is “Carousel Teeth,” featuring Sarah Jeanne of Aversed, giving this track more of a melodic metal sound than some of their other songs. The two vocals melding together are fantastic.
“Fall Into Bloom” has a stellar Deftones-tinged style (it’s well-documented that they’re my favourite band, so this is no small compliment from me). Heavy and melodic, with intense moments and a lot of depth. “This Massacre” offers a great balance of doomy vibes and singalong chorus, while “Like Heaven” has a lighter feel, and features vocals by Christopher Preece of Inspirit and Vanna. The album ends with “Bury The Ghost,” which starts out clean and subdued before the instruments kick up in a big way. This song has a more hopeful feel, which is a great way to cap off this batch of songs. It’s the perfect bookend to the first song, and has an epic style and a nuanced approach.
Mission To Sleep effortlessly mixes hardcore, shoegaze, emo, metal, alt rock, and every associated sub-genre in a manner that feels new and exciting. The result is captivating and impressive. There isn’t a song on this album that should be skipped – in fact, for best results, listen to the A Spark Or The End in full a few times in a row. It’s that good.
Stream A Spark Or The End by Mission To Sleep on your preferred platform:
Spotify / Bandcamp / Apple Music
Follow Mission To Sleep on Instagram
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