To become one of the biggest bands in metal, you have to unite the genre’s various warring factions: these Canadian metallers have pulled it off by being cataclysmically loud and garishly poppy, and scored back-to-back Grammy nominations and a support slot with Linkin Park later this summer. Spiritbox’s versatile frontperson Courtney LaPlante can throat-shred with the best of them, yet suddenly dip into a croon.
Take the two equally terrific singles from their second album. Soft Spine is a jagged boulder of invective hurled at the fakes and sickos in her industry, smashing into a punkish chorus of screamed contempt; Perfect Soul is soulful, reflective hard rock with a cleverly multitracked LaPlante cleanly singing of the gulf between her public and self perceptions. Elsewhere, the aptly titled Keep Sweet is their poppiest song yet, with liquid drum’n’bass verses giving way to a groove-metal chorus, while LaPlante bobs on a gentle, ruminative melody through the otherwise stormy title track.
