This Pain Will Move You: Confessions of a Traitor Deliver a Metalcore Masterclass

Artist: Confessions of a Traitor
Album: This Pain Will Serve You
Label: Facedown Records
Release Date: 16th May 2025

Reviewer Ian Walker

Confessions of a Traitor return with This Pain Will Serve You, their most mature, emotionally raw, and sonically powerful album to date. After nearly a decade of carving out their space in the UK metalcore scene, the London-based quartet make a fearless leap forward, embracing vulnerability without sacrificing a shred of aggression. With production by Justin Hill (SikTh, Heart Of A Coward) and mixing by Lance Prenc (Alpha Wolf, Polaris), every track hits like a storm—precise, punishing, but always laced with a sense of deep humanity.

Opening with Starve, the album sets an immediate tone of controlled chaos—tight riffing, explosive percussion, and vocalist Stephen MacConville’s unmistakable growl navigating emotional carnage with clarity. There’s a cinematic scope here; moments of silence are weaponised just as effectively as breakdowns.

Still Haunted, the lead single, is a devastating highlight. Inspired by MacConville’s best friend’s loss of a partner to suicide, the track is a swirling vortex of grief. It’s not just heavy sonically—it’s emotionally unrelenting. The vocal delivery is haunted, the guitar work from Jacob Brand and Jack Darnell melodic yet razor-edged. Every scream, every lyric feels earned and lived-in. The band’s strength lies in their ability to marry lyrical depth with sonic ferocity. Tracks like Love You Left Behind and Let It Consume Me throb with honest desperation. These aren’t your standard metalcore anthems—they’re confessionals, stitched with pain and hope.

Hail Mary and Noble Bloom show off the band’s versatility, trading brutality for ethereal cleans and dynamic shifts that make the breakdowns hit even harder. These tracks breathe, giving the listener space to reflect amidst the onslaught.

The rhythm section, led by drummer Sebastian Olward, is nothing short of thunderous. His precision and emotive feel elevate every track. Combined with the lush production, there’s a sense of scale and tension that grips from start to finish.

Stephen MacConville’s performance is a tour de force. His ability to move from throat-shredding rage to ghostly clean vocals adds layers of depth. He isn’t just performing; he’s living every word. Whether it’s the mournful verses of Still Haunted or the anthemic chorus of End of the Road, his voice is the emotional spine of the album. He bleeds through every bar, making each track feel like a shared experience rather than just a song. This Pain Will Serve You isn’t just a metalcore album—it’s a monument to survival. Confessions of a Traitor have crafted a deeply affecting record that dares to turn vulnerability into strength. With crushing instrumentals, heartfelt lyrics, and production that elevates every nuance, this is an album that doesn’t just sit in your headphones—it stays with you long after the final note fades.

This is more than a step forward for the band—it’s a leap into legacy.

Track Listing:

1. Starve
2. Fatal Frame
3. Doomsayer
4. Midnight Sun
5. Still Haunted
6. Love You Left Behind
7. Noble Bloom
8. Hail Mary
9. Let It Consume Me
10. The Sins I’m Yet To Answer For
11. Half Life

Jace Media Music Verdict:

9.5/10 – This Pain Will Serve You is a powerful, polished, and deeply personal record that sets a new benchmark for British metalcore in 2025. Cathartic, crushing, and absolutely essential.