Light The Torch
You Will Be the Death of Me

As a metal enthusiast, whenever I discover an incredible voice and realize that in its own way it's part of a niche (albeit a well-fed one) of fans, I feel a bit of reasonable annoyance.

Howard Jones is an amazing frontman, versatile, powerful, and unpredictable like a punch in the face during a bathroom break in the middle of the night. Known in the chronicles for being the frontman of the “Blood Has Been Shed” first and the more famous “Killswitch Engage” (which he left for personal reasons) later, with whom he released a total of seven albums in ten years, Jones is a sort of nomadic talent of American metalcore. To quantify the projects he participated in and currently participates in, one would need to sit calmly at a table and arm themselves with a calculator.

Mr. Jones, to date, is the voice of the metalcore supergroup Light The Torch, the new name for The Devil You Know, which was changed in July 2017 for unspecified reasons. With him, we have guitarist and co-founder Francesco Artusato, bassist Ryan Wombacher, and drummer Alex Rüdinger. Furthermore, as if that weren't enough, Jones decided to launch a side project last year, the band Sion, with sounds tougher than the melodic metalcore of Light The Torch.

I could talk for hours about Howard's past, but I would bore you; therefore, let's get to this new second album by the Los Angeles formation: “You Will Be the Death of Me.” I decided to review it because if I was already infatuated with the first record “Revival” of 2018, now I'm addicted.

The tracklist includes twelve pieces, alternating between episodes of unheard-of power and others where melodic singing takes the lead. What I love about melodic metalcore is precisely this dual essence, which here is excellently balanced in every song, though with some small exceptions.

The action kicks off with the muffled percussions of “More Than Dreaming,” which immediately showcases Howard Jones' vocal ability. His cords here are only in warm-up mode. The opening song has the characteristics of a long intro, bringing us to the starting blocks. “Let Me Fall Apart” moves, with a chorus made of background choir and a climb of octaves, scratched by a timid taste of scream.

“End of the World” and “Wilting in the Light” are connected by a common thread. The choruses tell us we are close to the end: “No one knows, this is the end of the world.” Then, they warn us: “We're wilting in the light and we stumble in the dark.” In each track, personal reflections and recurring themes of life are accompanied by the imminent supposed presence of death, which always passes through suffering, which is the compromise we have to accept in life.

“Death of me,” which disguises itself as the title track, is my absolute favorite. The overture has dreamlike sounds; the love sung by the narrating voice is so strong it seemingly leads to death. To the harmony is contrasted the arrogance of the growl, which leads straight to the most aggressive episode of the record “Living with a Ghost,” right in the middle of the tracklist, as if to create a point of rupture. The singing is almost entirely in growl, and the peaks still leave space for a concise melodic parenthesis.

“Become the Martyr” and “I Hate Myself,” with “Denying the Sin,” share a common soul and wink at power ballads, sharing a very similar compositional structure but no less enjoyable for that.

“Something Deep Inside” might be cataloged as a thrash metal piece, pounding and engaging, it shakes us properly. Artusato’s strings wear down the pick and perfectly dialogue with Jones, who runs and screams.

“Come Back To the Quicksand,” highly melancholic in its lyrics and what it conveys, takes us straight towards the end, reminding us that we can rise from the quicksand and tell the end of the story with optimism.

“Sign Your Name” is the unexpected closure, the foreign body of the record. A soft, sweet, and reflective ballad. “Sign your name across my heart, I want you to be my baby...” The guitar solo accompanies the end of the dedication and paints a satisfied expression on our face.

This second work by Light The Torch should not only be listened to, but it should be read in every nuance with insistence, because every single listen is an experience independent of the previous one. We have at our disposal the essence of metalcore and the emotions it manages to convey. Whether you are happy, angry, sad, or melancholic, let yourself be carried away.

In conclusion, I recommend stepping immediately into the world of the iconic Howard Jones, starting with this record and continuing with all the rest. We all truly deserve it.