Rhythm of Fear worship at the alter of thrash metal and crossover. Summoned from the sadistic swamps of Jacksonville, in Florida’s heavy-metal rich soil, the masters of gargantuan groove conjured a reverence unrivalled by their peers. Committed to the unrelenting riffage, Rhythm of Fear gleefully reinvigorates the timeless collision of speed, musicianship, and attitude.
Unapologetic bangers like ‘Dark Energy’ and ‘Ten Theories’ quickly became underground classics to a growing legion of like-minded supporters who snapped up the band’s 2011 demo, The Mass Illusion EP (2015), and full-length debut Maze of Confusion (2016). The appetite for devastation only intensified with the Ritual Dementia EP (2019), featuring ‘Vortex of Torment’ and the impassioned ‘Over And Out’; a deep cut from the early power metal years of Pantera.
Now, the band threatens to conquer the hearts and minds of all in metal, with the vitriolic, thrashtastic, cirle-pit-inciting Fatal Horizons, their sophomore slab of cleverly crafted crossover. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Joey Jones (Royal Thunder, Cloak), with sci-fi/horror artwork from Mario Lopez (Toxik, Skeletal Remains, EvilInvaders), Fatal Horizons‘ thirteen-tracks are richly thematic and devilishly accessible in equal measure.
Rather than simply rehash the past, Rhythm of Fear absorb and examine metal history’s greatest strengths, reassembling the parts into a fresh Frankenstein forged by the band’s unique identity and experience. This is straight forward and in your face.
“On Fatal Horizons, we’ve come even more into our own,” notes vocalist Jay Santiago. “Maze Of Confusion was very thrash metal and very hardcore driven. Aside from our lead guitar player, all of us grew up in the hardcore scene. We established ourselves as a true crossover band, with fast metal parts and funky hardcore grooves. There’s still a bit of groovy flavor, but Fatal Horizons is even thrashier.”
Thematically, Fatal Horizons delves deeper into the human psyche with relatable themes of depression, addiction, and anger. Alien abduction, magic rituals, and the occult pepper their songs with personality and spirit while the justice system and politics are targets within the framework of broader fantasy metaphors.
Album opener ‘Obsolescence’ confronts addiction. ‘Alien Synthesis’ is about the aftermath of the abduction. The title track puts the listener at the centre of a black hole. ‘Parasomniac’ details Santiago‘s struggles with the sleep disorder EHS, aka Exploding Head Syndrome, which awakens sufferers with imagined sounds. The simulation hypothesis is at the heart of ‘Simulated Times,’ inspired by one of Santiago‘s dreams. There are instrumental interludes throughout Fatal Horizons, synergising the cosmic themes of mortality. ‘Ceremony Of Sacrifice’ closes it all with an exploration of Mayan and Aztec mythology.
Rhythm of Fear are:
Jay Santiago – vocals
Cody James – guitars
Justin Styron – Bass
Logan Miano – drums
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