About once a year, a British band releases an album that outshines everything else around it. Arcane Roots threatened to produce this last time around with mini-album ‘Left Fire’, and with ‘Blood & Chemistry’ they’ve produced something unique, exciting and beautiful, taking that accolade in their stride.
The band’s grasp on dynamics has turned into a full on power grip, and there’s little doubt that ‘Blood & Chemistry’ is Arcane Roots reaching the potential they’ve had since day one. Channeling The Mars Volta and Biffy Clyro through modern post hardcore and melodic rock, crafted from anger and passion, ‘Blood & Chemistry’ sees the band ready to follow in some very ambitious footsteps with a record that’s nothing if not incredibly exciting.
The albums sways through its opening brace of ‘Energy Is Never Lost, Just Redirected’ and ‘Revolve’ in much the same fashion as ‘Left Fire’, and it’s here that the band’s fate ultimately hangs. Their sound is atmospheric and towering, and with Andrew Groves’ soaring vocal, they sound uplifting and frequently magnificent. They don’t quite have the instant gratification of a straight up punk or hardcore band, but it’s hard to see them struggling to make new fans considering the record’s quality and production, and the gentle abandon of third track ‘Belief’ and later ‘Held Like Kites’ exposes the band’s wide range of songwriting skills as fully matured. The track on the record that will bring people back and back again is the broken love of ‘Hell & High Water’, rising and falling through the most impressive dynamic interchanges that you’ll hear for a long time, and carrying arguably the finest vocal performance on the record.
‘Blood & Chemistry’ is also a reminder that Arcane Roots are excellent at closing tracks, with the 9 minute long ‘You Keep Me Here’ rivaling (but not quite topping) ‘Long & Low’ from ‘Left Fire’ for exhilarating sprints to the finish line. There’s everything you could ever want in an album here: it’s a roller coaster of emotions, wonderful musicianship, passion, energy and pure riffs, and there’s more than a few moments that can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. With it, Arcane Roots have arrived, so if you’ve been sleeping on them so far, now is the perfect time to hop on board. ‘Blood & Chemistry’ is bound straight for the end of year lists without a doubt, and the band have some very bright years ahead.
TOM AYLOTT