VICIOUS RAIN

Swiss metalcore outfit VICIOUS RAIN are known for their soaring melodies, brutal breakdowns and cinematic textures, all woven into songs that hit hard and linger for a while. The group got its start in the early 2020s by releasing singles and EPs, and after some time, developed a strong following with their emotive lyrics and expressive instrumentation. Only having been together for a few years, VICIOUS RAIN are still one of the newer bands in the metalcore scene, and it will be exciting to watch their journey unfold.

Some records arrive polished and perfect, and while the new set from VICIOUS RAIN, "The Anatomy of Surviving", has some of those qualities, there's a rawness about it that makes it real. The set leans hard into modern metal's precision, but it never forgets the human feelings underneath it. The guitars grind and climb over each other, while the rhythm section keeps the whole thing locked to the floor. It's heavy and relentless, but it also breathes. The title track, "The Anatomy of Surviving", feels like the emotional center of the record. It opens with tons of muscle and momentum, bringing a tense pull before the guitars kick in. There's something restless in the way the song moves, like it's pacing the room late at night. Lyrically, it expresses the subtle fights people have with themselves, but it never falls into despair. The chorus lifts just enough to remind you there's daylight somewhere.

"A Spotless Mind" slides into a different lane. This song is colder and more reflective. The guitars shimmer before tightening into sharp, controlled bursts, and the vocals carry a soulful that lands harder than a scream. Then, there's "Red Noise", which arrives like a pressure valve finally snapping. The riffs hit fast and furious in the best way, the drums pushing everything forward and never stepping back. It's the most immediate track on the record: lean, aggressive and built to shake a room. The album's closer, "Interwind", pulls things back with a shining, glistening, electronic anthem that brings together the entire album's sound into one track.

What makes VICIOUS RAIN and "The Anatomy of Surviving" stick is that balance. There's brutal heaviness on one side and a beating heart on the other. Sometimes, that's exactly how music needs to present itself in the ever-evolving metalcore world.