Tsunami Sea
Spiritbox
Fata Morgana is a fairly blunt way to start an album. Heavy guitars, harsh vocals and very little interest in making a polite entrance. Then Courtney LaPlante switches to clean singing, and suddenly there's a proper melody sitting in the middle of all that weight. Spiritbox get that balance right throughout much of Tsunami Sea.
The Canadian band's second album moves between metalcore, atmospheric rock and electronics without making every change feel like an announcement. Black Rainbow keeps the opening heavy, while Perfect Soul gives the album one of its strongest hooks. It's a more accessible song, but the guitars still give it enough weight. You can enjoy the chorus without having to apologise to anyone's metal collection.
Soft Spine, meanwhile, has absolutely no interest in being reasonable. LaPlante's harsh delivery and the low, bouncing riff make it one of the most direct songs here. It's short, angry and very effective. No Loss, No Love takes a less predictable route, using electronic sounds and spoken passages to make its heaviness feel more unsettling.
That's an important part of what works. Spiritbox have several ways to build tension, so the album can move beyond waiting for the next breakdown. The title track puts more emphasis on atmosphere and melody, while A Haven With Two Faces gives its ideas more space. The music has room for the uncertainty in LaPlante's words, particularly the pull between wanting to leave home and wanting to return.
Crystal Roses is the clearest change of direction, with electronic beats taking the lead. That will probably be the dividing line for some listeners. There's also a lot of studio polish across the record, and anyone wanting loose, rough-edged performances may find it a little too controlled. A few of the bigger melodic moments work with a familiar formula too.
Still, the songs are strong enough to carry that confidence. LaPlante is excellent at both ends of her range, and Mike Stringer's guitar parts give the softer material a strong foundation. Tsunami Sea has big choruses and some thoroughly unpleasant riffs. In this case, both are compliments.
