Crystal Lake are one of those bands I lost track of. I loved 2015’s The Sign, the blend of hardcore attitude with a surgically aggressive metalcore and enough djent and deathcore to make things interesting, resulting in some of my all-time favorites in the style (“Prometheus,” “Matrix,” “Hades”). Yes, it’s a blunt and melancholic barbarity, but for a dose of sonic adrenaline that makes you feel like breaking down, the Japanese quintet delivered. I lost track of them, with the albums True North and Helix reducing the weight for an atmospheric metalcore sound inspired by Erra. It’s been eight years since Helix hit the scene with a rush, so what can we expect from The Weight of Sound?
“The Weight of Sound” is the weight of change and consistency for both Crystal Lake. A notable change is the departure of vocalist Ryo Kinoshita, who released the debut album for his solo project Knosis last year, and was replaced by John Robert Centorrino, former vocalist of The Last Ten Seconds of Life. The band acknowledges that Kinoshita’s shoes are nearly impossible to fill. Moreover, Centorrino is backed by a host of guest vocalists: David Simonich of Signs of the Swarm, Taylor Barber of Left to Suffer and Seven Hours After Violet, Myke Terry of Volumes and Fire from the Gods, Karl Schubach of Misery Signals and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage. Steadily, however, the instrumental approach is the same, bringing back the nu-metal that meets djent and hardcore chugs (whose absence made the last two showings fruitless), as well as the ethereal guitar layers that characterize it. The result, however, is sadly inferior compared to Crystal Lake’s milestone albums, as the sturdy outweighs the thoughtful and the vocals become a monotonous idiocy.
On the plus side, when Crystal Lake manage to balance the heavy with the atmospheric, the tracks can really take off. Luscious chord sequences, layered melodies and extended trills, and desperate vocals combine to add a nice dose of melancholy and rage, emphasized by the band’s distinctive guitar tone that balances djent weight with hardcore urgency. Even Centorrino’s clean melodies are a nice addition to these tracks, distant screams or chants reminiscent of Brett Gurewitz’s guest spot on “Parkway Drive‘s “Home is for the Heartless:” tasteful and discreet. These tracks reside mainly in the back half, a calm after the storm of striking metalcore, with a more melancholic mood (“The Undertow,” “The Weight of Sound,” “Sinners,” “Coma Wave”) reminiscent of more melodic hardcore metalcore bands like Counterparts or The Ghost Inside. The patience in the composition of these moments is also noteworthy, as the movements feel beautifully relaxed and appropriately thoughtful.
Crystal Lake’s balance of atmosphere and chug, as well as their vocal charisma, were always advantages, but they hurt The Weight of Sound. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like the lighter and airier atmosphere of Helix, but far too many tracks here are just too clever to make an impression, especially the opening triptych of “redundant twitches” (“Everblack,” “BludGod,” “Neversleep”), which feels like the band’s metalcore answer to Signs of the Swarm‘s To Rid Myself of Truth. Meanwhile, other tracks seem wildly inconsistent and really scratch the head when it comes to tracklist placement, with bluesy Southern vibes (“King Down”) or awkward shifts between heavy and ethereal (“Dystopia,” “Crossing Nails”). Each placement in the playlist generally feels irregular and abrupt, from the heaviest to the most Southern, the most ethereal and the most confused. Despite the number of guest vocalists appearing throughout The Weight of Sound, Centorrino’s vocals make them hard to distinguish with his smokier and denser presence. It isn’t clear whether this makes him a better performer or whether the production value is simply so rotten – or both.
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In their defense, Crystal Lake didn’t need to change their sound after Kinoshita’s departure, and the balance between ethereal atmosphere and chuggy metalcore remains a tremendous advantage. However, the scattered songwriting and the strange track placement reduce the doom effectiveness beyond a few rare moments to dissolve the muddled, whiny beatdowns. The Weight of Sound is everything you loved about The Sign eleven years ago, but with less identity and more distraction, fighting for one song before they torment you with breakdowns the next. But the most notable thing is Crystal Lake‘s lack of direction: The Weight of Sound is all chugs and atmosphere with no clear purpose.
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Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Record label: Century Media Records
Websites: crystallake-worldwide.com | facebook.com/crystallake777
Worldwide releases: January 23, 2026
You’ll find the source at the link below
https://www.angrymetalguy.com/crystal-lake-the-weight-of-sound-review/
