Spiritbox : Tsunami Sea Review

By Steven Miller

The metalcore scene has been eagerly anticipating Spiritbox’s latest full-length album, Tsunami Sea. The Canadian quartet has pushed their sound further, fusing their signature mix of ghostly atmospheres and heaviness with an increased willingness to experiment with textures. The result? An album that surges like its namesake, with a sonic ebb and flow that exhilarates and engages the listener.

Spiritbox consists of vocalist Courtney LaPlante, whose dynamic range transitions between clear melodies and guttural roars, and guitarist Mike Stringer, whose intricate riffing and atmospheric textures shape the band’s sonic identity. Bassist and backing vocalist Josh Gilbert provides a solid rhythmic backbone, adding harmonic depth, while drummer Zev Rosenberg anchors the band’s sound with precision and dynamic intensity.

“Fata Morgana” is a salvo erupting like a tidal wave of distortion and throat-searing fury. LaPlante’s demonic growls are back in full force, but it’s the claustrophobic, ever-shifting guitar work from Stringer that makes this track feel like a violent hallucination.

“Black Rainbow” has Spiritbox swinging for the stadiums with this one. Thunderous breakdowns and a chorus tailor-made for festival singalongs drive this behemoth, while Rosenberg’s and Gilbert drive the feel and aggression. The male/female vocals and effects fit the mood of the song.

“Perfect Soul” has a dynamic shift with a return to a lighter hard-rock texture. LaPlante’s soaring cleans take center stage, carried by a darkly melodic riff that underscores the song’s exploration of identity and perception.

“Keep Sweet” fuses liquid drum’n’bass percussion with a groove-metal backbone. The band flexes their pop instincts here as well. Moving into saccharine territory, the band mixes the pop-rock moments with metal core perfectly to make sure you’re listening.

“Soft Spine” is a snarling critique of industry phoniness, this track rips forward with punk-laced aggression. The chorus features a venomous, full-throated scream to ensures that the band’s fury is felt as much as it’s heard.

“Tsunami Sea” encapsulates the record’s overarching theme of struggle as it flows between calm and chaos. Its clean moments drift with eerie tranquility before being swallowed whole by a surge of churning guitars, bass, and drums.

“A Haven with Two Faces” greets us with a clean guitar arpeggio figure before moving to a routy metalcore feel. The layered harmonies make the chorus stand out. It evolves the classic progressive metalcore sound with Spiritbox’s unmistakable dreamlike execution in the quieter moments.

“No Loss, No Love” releases the aggression with a progressive metal experimentation. It’s a bold track, the structure makes it feel developmental in the multiple feels and intensities.

“Crystal Roses” brings more drum’n’bass textures, the experimental approach for the band doesn’t entirely land. Lacking the volatility and grit that makes jungle-inspired metalcore so thrilling, this track struggles to ignite. The buildup to the drop could’ve really hit home, instead the energy was released. Also, the vocal effects are to pop oriented.

“Ride the Wave” follows with a hypnotic descent into darkness. The track pulses with a steady backbeat while haunting vocal harmonies weave tension into every measure, pulling the listener deeper into Spiritbox’s murky, immersive world.

“Deep End” is the album’s grand finale, this track begins with cinematic grandeur before shifting into a driving, urgent rhythm. Male and female harmonies entwine, buzzing with a tense energy that propels the song toward its climactic resolution.

The sonic depth of Tsunami Sea is undeniable. However, the album’s production leans heavily into compression, at times sacrificing clarity in allowing the individual parts to shine. Yet, rather than feeling like a misstep, the mix’s density amplifies the album’s cataclysmic weight, particularly on tracks like “Fata Morgana,” where the suffocating wall of sound enhances the track’s relentless intensity.

Spiritbox has always thrived on walking the fine line between chaos and control, between brutality and beauty. Tsunami Sea is no exception. It’s an album that showcases their hunger to innovate while retaining the emotional and sonic core that makes them an exciting modern metalcore act. Not every experiment here is a home run, but when the band locks in, the results are electrifying. With its volatile energy, soaring hooks, and moments of unfiltered rage, Tsunami Sea is a towering testament to Spiritbox’s continued evolution.