Album Review | Convictions "I Won't Survive" (Suffering faced head on... with breakdowns)

In a colossal turn of events that was the year 2020 and the turn of the millennia that would further start a whole new decade, the toll that the year brought to the table brought nothing but heartbreak, sadness, depression, anxiety, and a sense of unease that kept people on edge, people were wondering when this era of darkness would end, and while we're getting ever closer to the time that this whole year will remain a distant memory; the amount of sure suffering that the world has experienced is what the christian metalcore band Convictions try to tackle on their new ep "I Won't Survive".

The sure amount of dread that one feels when listening to this ep is almost staggering given the heavily symbolic nature of the record and how it all ties together. The different allegories that are used throughout the record are stunning and the sure amount of chaos that you feel when listening to this record will both leave you in tears but also will leave you with a sense of wanting to head bang those tears away because this record is heavy not just with it's lyrical content but also in the music because this ep is by far the heavily release from the band to date.

The different stylistic choices in this ep come with a weight that feels at points too heavy to bear but also feels like you're being pushed around in an ocean tide of heavy guitar and bass and disgustingly aggressive vocals and drums. Vocalist Mike Felker and company really stepped up their a game as if every one in the studio said "hey let's make this as heavy as possible" and called it a day, because that's what you feel when it comes to the relentless heaviness that just permeates throughout the record.

Musically, if you couldn't figure out already is all out heavy. Comparing this to the rest of their discography is almost like comparing favorite children as this record perfectly demonstrates a perfect balance of relentless heaviness and pure poetic stability as these tracks flow from aggressive melodic metalcore to hardcore and deathcore at the drop of a hat.

The record's opener 'The War That Followed Me Home' perfectly encapsulates that feeling of relentless heaviness with an equal amount of just glorious chemistry and vocal work as both Mike Felker and Danyal Suchta create a vast experience bringing forth both uncontrollable screams and beautiful cleans.

'Wreckage' kicks the walls down with a flamethrower of a tune that toys on both modern day hardcore and classic hardcore while staying true to what the band are capable of and the sure amount of angst from this track is insane, plus you got to love that line "and pull the gun from my throat" that's followed up by that insanity of a breakdown.

'The Price Of Grace' is a tough listen to sit through as the track is about a mutual friend to died to suicide. It's a track that instantly gets to you as the track is a perfect example of someone grieving the loss of a loved one, and that ending the phone message will tear your heart out and leave you speechless.

'Teeth' could quite possibly be the band's heaviest song to date as the track leaves you with no warning and proceeds to smack you aside the head with a tempo that changes what feels like every second and leaves you with nothing but heavy.

'Hurricane' is a beautiful moment that feels like a "hurricane" with how the track flows with that relentless energy of pure heaviness.

And the closing moment 'Last Cell' combined with the interlude 'Everything I Never Told You' is possibly one of the most beautiful closers to an album that we have heard all year thus far as the symphonic elements of the interlude combined with the rawness of the closing moment really set this record off with a beautiful closing that's nothing but fitting for this release.

"I Won't Survive" is a hard record to sit through especially if you or a loved one have gone through or currently are going through a rough patch in your life and if you are currently going through something like this then let "I Won't Survive" serve as a testament that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and that you are never truly alone.

Convictions have truly outdone themselves especially from coming off of a record deal and this being their first release as an independent band and this record is living proof that a band can go through the toughest of times and make it out on top as "I Won't Survive" is a perfect record that will live on as a staple for the sound and the scene. - Samuel Cook

Rating: 5/5