I really enjoyed ‘Mirrors’, but in ‘Controller’ Misery Signals have raised their game yet again. It’s just over 18 months since their last album but the band, having completed their touring schedule went straight back to writing a new album, recorded it with Devin Townsend and this is the result. ‘Controller’ is a dark, aggressive record. But as much as it’s hard hitting it’s accessible too – not in a catchy kind of way, but certainly in a production manner. The breakdowns aren’t predictable and the vocals, while spitting venom, aren’t overly shouty or screaming for the sake of it.
‘Weight of the World’ is a beast of a song and things continue in this manner for the entire length of the album. ‘Coma’ and ‘Reset’ are fantastic too, as the band spit bile about the state of the world and their social and political opinions are presented in an impressive way. The riffs are heavy, the basslines rumble and the drums hit home hard. To be honest, this record, from start to finish, is a success. This is a refined Misery Signals. They’ve cut the fat from ‘Mirrors’ and made everything harder, heavier and more aggressive. The results are excellent – this is a record you need to hear.