Band:	Spiritbox
Album:	Tsunami Sea
Style:	Djent, Metalcore, Progressive metal
Release date:	March 07, 2025
A review by:	Thryce

01. Fata Morgana
02. Black Rainbow
03. Perfect Soul
04. Keep Sweet
05. Soft Spine
06. Tsunami Sea
07. A Haven With Two Faces
08. No Loss, No Love
09. Crystal Roses
10. Ride The Wave
11. Deep End

In the tsunami wave of new metal releases, we all have our guilty pleasures from time to time. So, I’ll let the genie out of the bottle and the spirit out of the box, and admit: Spiritbox is one of mine.

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DISCLAIMER: The following review takes a cue from the Stage Right Secrets interviewer who, at this year’s Grammy Awards, mistakenly identified Courtney LaPlante as Poppy. Instead of correcting them, LaPlante – being the effortlessly cool person she is – just rolled with it, playing along and staying in character for the entire interview.

So, in that same 'eh, close enough' spirit, this review will fumble a few phrases, purely for totally inadvertent comedic effect. As such, reader’s discretion is disguised.

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Some bands have all the subtlety of a wrecking ball to the teeth. Spiritbox is one of them, as they don’t beat around the tush with their sophomore release. Like a fickle ocean, Tsunami Sea slips between brutality and beauty, dragging you under with crushing breakdowns before lifting you back up with tasty melodies that are catchier than a cold in a kindergarten class. Add some electronic garnish for good measure, and you’ve got a sound that’s just as modern as it is face-melting – but hey, that’s just water under the fridge at this point.

While plenty of metal(core) bands these days are clearly happy to reheat the same run-of-the-treadmill tropes (cough looking at you, Killswitch Engage's This Consequence cough), Spiritbox isn’t satisfied with playing it safe. They’re out here straying from the conventional approach, trying their hardest to convince us the grass really is greener on the other slide. Now, I’m not saying they are reinventing the squeal, but for all intensive purposes, this album keeps things modernly fresh without feeling too much like the cookie-butter metal (cough looking at you, Architects' The Sky, The Earth & All Between cough).

When it comes to Courtney LaPlante’s vocal versatility and prowess, you really can’t judge a cook by its oven. Her ability to shift vocals from full-on demon possession to angelic serenade still makes her the band’s not-so-secret weapon.

But it’s not just her; these guys know how to play tight – and it shows. With their technical proficiency, Spiritbox proves they are more than just some bedroom project with chugging riffs and good PR, coming out of the ashes of Iwrestledabearonce (RIP in pieces). Whether it’s the intricate guitar work, the devastatingly precise drumming, or the subtle-but-punchy bass lines (yes, bassists, we see you), the band flexes serious technical chops.

As with all modern metal releases these days, the production quality is slicker than a lawyer at a mob trial. Even the heaviest moments feel polished, but never overly sterile. Though take it with a grain of soap, because that’s more of a taste preference than a real flaw. Really, the crystal-clear production is a blessing in the sky; whoever mixed this album deserves a raise, a vacation, and a statue in their honor.

Now, here’s a tough grill to swallow: no album is perfect... and neither is Tsunami Sea... So let’s get right on to the zitpicking.

Just like on Eternal Blue, the tracklist flow feels a little... wonky. The album’s pacing is about as smooth as a mosh pit in zero gravity. Some transitions are so jarring you’ll double-check if your playlist got shuffled by accident.

Further to the above, we also need to have a word about genre-jumping. You see, the line between diverse and disjointed is sometimes as thin as toilet paper in a truck stop restroom. There’s a lot going on, and Spiritbox is all over the place stylistically, which has always been part of their charm, but it also means the album doesn’t lock into a consistent vibe. At times it feels like a rollercoaster you immediately want to ride again, even though you’re still not sure which way is up.

In the grand scream of things, Spiritbox is going full force to appeal to a wide audience: not only the mainstreamers, but also (alternative) metalheads, the (prog)-metalcore-scene-kids, and that one guy who still calls everything with a pick scrape "djent." That’s a high expectation to set for yourself, and, at times, it feels like they’re walking a thin spine between pleasing everyone and keeping their own identity. Shirley, it’s not rocket appliances, but it’s a very tricky thing to do, and you need to make sure you don’t bite off more than you can shoe.

Washing you over like a giant wave, Tsunami Sea is dripping in raw emotion, gut-wrenching delivery, and enough diversity to make your eardrums do backflips. For cheddar or for worse, Spiritbox is solidifying their place in the modern metal landscape by doing what most bands are seemingly too scared to try – evolving. Is it perfectly structured? Not quite. Is it a greasy, high-calorie cheat meal you’ll shamelessly devour because you only YOLO once? Oh, for sure!

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So what do you say? Did I hit the snail on the head with this review? You tell me in the guestbook section below.