Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride unite on High Parasite’s debut album, Forever We Burn. My Dying Bride vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe fronts the quintet along with bassist Tombs who provides backing vocals. Forever melds metal, goth and dark synth-pop, creating a sub-genre that Aaron calls “death pop.” Thus, this album eschews conventional death/doom tropes in favor of accessible melodies and somewhat catchy choruses. The title track opens with a clean, but dark guitar chords before bursting out with loud drums and guitars. It is a dynamic track with a conventional rock tempo and soft/guttural vocals. One fills a sense of anguish despite the track’s pop sensibilities and this contrast of light and dark sets the tone of the record. “My Syndrome” is a grooving track with a spooky sample plays throughout the track. The vocals are the sore spot though as Aaron sounds a bit like latter era Chris Barnes, which dulls the song just a bit. The band returns to its Goth influence on “Grave Intentions” which is another straightforward song with a simple guitar lead at the end. “Wasn’t Human” is a highlight and a good pick for a single. The palm muted riffs, Paradise Lost-esque guitar phrasing and Aaron’s haunting vocals combine for a dark, albeit poppy track. High Parasite get a little industrial on “Concentric Nightmares” with its aggro Rob Zombie sounding riffs interspersed with some eerie vocals and a bluesy guitar solo. “Parasite” has some interesting vocal phrasing and a mini bass solo. Album closer “We Break We Die” is a dark pop/dance track that is the most musically different from the rest of the album. It takes a few listens, but it certainly fits on the album due the urgent vocals and dark groove.
Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost produced Forever We Burn, and we can hear the influence with the guitars. The sorrowful guitar lines of Greg’s band are present here, but do not overshadow the overarching theme of the record. Forever opts for simplicity, and the crushing, depressing sound of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride is subdued in favor of dark, catchy songs to dance to. Things are a bit monotonous as the band stays within the conventions of pop. However, when the band finds the mix of metal, goth and pop its works well. The production is loud and crisp, with audible bass and synth samples that heighten the listening experience.
High Parasite ring in Halloween season with a heavy accessible album that serves as an entry point for more extreme metal. Fans of My Dying Bride and Parasite may like Forever, particularly if they enjoy the less metal songs of the aforementioned bands. High Parasite’s debut album is full of promise.
Check out the band’s official website here: https://highparasite.com/
