Album – Fractured State
Release Date – 4th September
Review by Linda McDermott
Metal fans at the ready because you are going to love this album by Glasgow-based Pyroclast. A relatively new name, but the band have been around the metal scene for several years, previously performing as Tantrum. Their music combines classic heavy metal with elements of power metal and thrash, resulting in a sound that is heavy, melodic, and full of energy.
But Pyroclast isn’t simply a new name for an old band, it marks the start of a new chapter. The band released their third album, No Place for the Damned, under their former name, before returning in 2025 as Pyroclast and re-releasing the album as No Place for the Damned Redux MMXXV, complete with remastered audio and new artwork.
Now, with Mark Reid on vocals, Baz Fitzsimmons and Chris Horne on guitars, Liam Barrie on bass and Mark Riches behind the drums, Pyroclast are looking to build on what came before while giving the band a new identity. Their latest release, Fractured State, shows they certainly aren’t hanging around.
There’s still plenty of classic heavy metal in there, but the album also leans into heavier, darker, and more progressive territory, with songs touching on social oppression, psychological control, historical disaster, mythology, and the ways people break under pressure.
Fractured State is a metal fan’s dream. It has everything that will get your head nodding and having just seen the band twice in the last couple of months playing some of these tracks at Wildfire Festival and Firevolt Festival, I know for a fact it’s going to be a hit with metal-heads from all over.
The album opens with Pyroclast, a fantastic anthem with a great build-up leading into Mark’s vocals. His voice has a range that is second to none, and this really is showcased throughout all eight tracks. The guitars and music are epic, and the lyrics tell a story as the music carries you along. Before you know it, you’ll be singing “Pyroclast” just as loud as they were at those festivals.
Slaughterhouse gets things going with soaring guitars and the promise of powerful things to come, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. There’s no doubt this is a band that knows how to put intricate music together, with the guitars adding just as much to the story as the vocals. There’s plenty going on musically, but it never feels like it’s there just to show off what they can do. Instead, every guitar riff and solo helps create a track that demands your attention from beginning to end.
Break the Tide is another epic track, with a powerful intro that takes things into a deeper tone musically. The songs on this album have a habit of creeping up on you before suddenly punching you in the face, and this is a perfect example. There’s no way you’re not getting out your air guitar for this one.
Prisoner Game keeps up the consistent power and relentless energy that runs throughout the album. The storytelling is phenomenal and almost hypnotic as Mark’s voice soars, followed by guitars that match the intensity. The drums and bass keep everything moving along, tying all those different elements together and making it impossible to sit still for long.
Then we get to Brought by a Flame, my favourite track on the album, which has also been released as a single. The video for this song brings the whole story to life and takes you on a journey through time that I can still visualise every time I hear it. In fact, I stopped reviewing to watch the video again, and I felt exactly the same way about it as I did the first time I saw it. The song and video work perfectly together. There’s something emotional and sad about it, but it’s also incredibly powerful and thought-provoking. It’s a track that really stayed with me when it was released as a single and hearing it again while writing this review reminded me exactly why.
From here, the album keeps moving at a fast pace. Beneath the Beyond maintains that relentless beat and intensity that runs throughout, while Ozymandias keeps the power and energy going, proving there are no filler tracks here. Each song has its own character, and the quality of the writing and musicianship remains consistent throughout.
And then comes the final track, Erebus and Terror. It starts with gentle guitars, which took me by surprise after everything that had come before. But it doesn’t take long before the power kicks back in, bringing the volume and energy with it, as Mark once again tells a tale of woe.
You don’t have to be a heavy metal fan to appreciate this album. But Fractured State has everything you could want from a metal album, powerful vocals, epic guitars, great storytelling, and an energy that runs through every track, I can see myself returning to this album long after I’ve finished writing this review.
Release date is the 4th of September and is definitely a date for the diary.
Official Website:
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/pyroclastrocks
https://www.youtube.com/@pyroclastrocks
https://www.instagram.com/pyroclastrocks
https://pyroclastrocks.bandcamp.com
Videos
Break the Tide
Brought By A Flame
Pyroclast
+ There are no comments
Add yours