2021 has been a fun year for finding new music. There have been lots of discoveries and some really challenging listens, none more so than the recent recommendation of the mighty Inter Claus. Considering this, I was looking for something a little more straightforward and accessible to finish the year off, and have possibly found the perfect candidate in metal trio MIRE. Consisting of members of As I Lay Dying and Allegaeon, MIRE have followed up three singles with their new album, A New Found Rain.
A New Found Rain opens with “Lightless”, a punchy riff-laden kickstarter. Benton McKibben effortlessly switches from angsty screams to clean melodic lines between verses and chorus. A solid opener, “Lightless” is a good introduction to the changing world of MIRE. “Shed” continues the heavy verse / melodic chorus theme, guitarists Ryan Gilsan and Nick Hipa working well together to drive the track along with a mix of chunky rhythm and intricate lead playing. These descriptions could read true for the majority of the album, with MIRE relatively comfortable approaching tracks in a formulaic way. Whilst this could leave the album feeling repetitive for some, it is one of the features of A New Found Rain that brought me back for repeat listens.
That is not to say that the band are afraid to branch out and try a different approach. At points in the album, MIRE take a big step away from the heavy with heavier focus on clean vocals with songs such as “Suffering” and “Callous”. The latter in particular sees the band venture into Soulfly-esque territory with the opening percussion leading into heavier guitars and clean vocals. During some of these cleaner moments, I found myself reminded of Spineshank, a band I haven’t listened to in over ten years, and I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not. On repeat listens, I found myself fighting the urge to skip these tracks and join MIRE back in their heavier comfort zone.
MIRE save the strongest track of the album for last, with title track “A New Found Rain” showing a band growing in confidence in both writing and delivery. Here we see a much more refined mix of clean and heavy, with the dual guitars showcasing this mix particularly well. Moments of dissonance are sandwiched between lightly picked and chugged guitars, the band intent on keeping the listener on their toes with sudden changes in dynamics throughout.
A New Found Rain is not an album that will change your life, but rather provide you with a little comfort when you’re yearning for a simple and enjoyable listen. A band very much in their infancy, MIRE appear to be a band still working on their sound and building a name for themselves. As much as I found solace in the formulaic approach to writing that appeared on most tracks, I imagine the trio may opt for a more adventurous approach to future releases, and this is something to look forward to. A New Found Rain shows a band with great promise, hopefully we won’t have long to wait to watch MIRE grow with a follow-up release.
