Okay, friends, time for another album review! Been a little bit since I did one of these. Last one was for ERRA’s Cure, my 2024 Album of the Year. This time around, I find myself writing up a review for what could very well be the AOTY for 2025.
At this point, I have to assume anyone who’s even remotely into metalcore knows who Spiritbox are. They’ve been making big waves in the scene for the past several years with a highly inventive sound that balances aggression and harmony. Any success that’s come their way has been more than well deserved. With their sophomore album, Tsunami Sea, they effortlessly continue the trend of pushing the boundaries of the genre.
In a word, Tsunami Sea is a complete album. Beat for beat, it gets everything right. It demonstrates and elevates everything Spiritbox do well by building and improving upon all their previous work. The end result is an album that flows like water, seamlessly bouncing between different sounds while also maintaining a clear, consistent throughline of emotional depth and resonance. If you’re a fan of any kind of metal, I promise you’ll find at least one song here to enjoy (though I suspect you’ll just end up enjoying the entire record anyway).
I figured this album would start on a more melodic note, similar to the band’s previous (debut) album, Eternal Blue. I’m glad I was wrong to assume as much. Tsunami Sea’s opening track, “Fata Morgana,” is a brutal one. It harnesses a moody, aggressive vibe to set the tone for what’s to come. “Black Rainbow” then maintains that aggressive energy while also upping the pace to a delicious degree. “I can see for miles and miles beyond the black rainbow,” is a standout line from this record.
But just when things are feeling nice and violent, the softer likes of “Perfect Soul” and “Keep Sweet” roll in to shake things up. The former was one of the lead singles for the album, and I’d firmly place it as one of the best songs this band has ever put out, balancing a smooth, powerful progression with beautiful, gripping lyricism. The latter is a fast-paced and electrifying joyride of sorts, perfectly showcasing lead singer Courtney LaPlante’s vocal versatility. The first single for the record, “Soft Spine,” then brings us back into that heavier space, albeit with a steadier rhythm alongside its blasting chords.
We then dive deep into the title track, “Tsunami Sea.” Man, I love this song. Elegant and beautiful, with a pleasant beat with some great lyrics. It’s everything a good title track should be. It then perfectly leads into the longest song of the album, “A Haven With Two Faces.” We’ve had a healthy amount of strong, lengthy tunes lately, especially from bands adjacent to Spiritbox, like ERRA, Silent Planet, and Invent Animate. It’s tough to justify a song any longer than four minutes, so every second has to count. Thankfully, Spiritbox understood the assignment, which is to say this song is straight fire.
Following that dynamic duo of tracks, we’re treated to my favorite heavy tune of the album, “No Loss, No Love.” This one has all the punch you could ask for, with some wild rhythm and pace on the guitars and drums. Plus, the two spoken interludes add a uniquely haunting aspect to this one. Then, we get “Crystal Roses,” my surprise sleeper hit of the record. It’s certainly one of the band’s more experimental tracks, but I think it fits their repertoire quite well. It takes the characteristic Spiritbox ambiance and combines it with a slower, poppy, synthy sound. It’s the kind of tune I’d gladly cruise to on a late-night drive.
“Ride The Wave” features a slower pace and a much more mellow vibe overall, at least until the roaring ending. It’s a good song with a smooth, dynamic sound, but I don’t think it provides as much bang for your buck as any of the other tracks. If the album needs a “weakest link,” this is probably it. Tsunami Sea then closes out with “Deep End.” Similar to how I feel we’ve gotten tons of great lengthy songs lately, I think we’re also getting spoiled on album closers. Much like the title track, this song is downright beautiful, as it carries tons of emotional weight with its silky instrumentals and powerful lyrics. And that ending guitar fade… Pure gold.
Wrap all of that together, and you’ve got Tsunami Sea. On my first listen, there was the obvious question of, “Does this record top the last one?” Now, about two weeks following the album’s release, my answer is an uncontested, “Yes.” This record beams with creativity and complexity, taking everything great about Spiritbox’s sound and cranking it all to 11.
The funny part is, I think it was easy to see a record like this coming. The talent behind Spiritbox is unquestionable. Eternal Blue was one of the best debut albums for a band in recent years, and looking past that, their respective 2022 and 2023 EPs, Rotoscope and The Fear of Fear, did plenty of heavy lifting in laying the groundwork for this latest effort.
All of this is to say, Tsunami Sea is an outstanding achievement for this band. Furthermore, you should most definitely check it out if you haven’t already. It’s got my highest recommendation. And, as noted at the start of this review, this is an easy, early contender for my 2025 AOTY. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what else comes along this year. They’ll have some steep competition, that’s for sure.