Nearly four years after the masterfully-made fresh application of a darker side of Metalcore, Like Moths to Flames (LMTF) had to follow up their smashing release, No Eternity in Gold. To understand whether their newer release, The Cycles of Trying to Cope, will expand on the thematics of the previous or go a different direction. We need to rate each track thoroughly and analyze it down to it;s musical molecule.

“Angels Weep”: 4

   LMTF delves heavily into Deathcore roots. In my opinion, they meld the Deathcore and Metalcore genres perfectly. Guitarists Eli Ford and Jeremy Smith are at the forefront of this mixture; their rhythmic accuracy clashes with the dissonant-feeling leads, and the aspects of both clean each other up. Vocalist Christopher Roetter’s layered vocals keep the visceral presentation they started to present, but keep the melodic beauty Roetter carries. The track portrays a desolate afterlife where hope is extinct, and suffering is eternal, as titled the Kingdom of Rust. 

“Paradigm Trigger”: 5

   I like the dynamic nature of their approach to the aforementioned genres. Even though they mesh the same things over and over again throughout the tracklist, it never feels tired. This time, Ford and Smith go full force into the Deathcore. The scooped mids, even if they are overdone, are perfectly characterized within the structure of “Paradigm Trigger.” Even if Aaron Evan’s basswork isn’t as distinct, he provides the thicker lower ends, making the track feel like gusts of wind going through a tunnel; it’s compact but weighs down the ears. The lyrics describe a nightmarish state of being physically and mentally stuck, detached from reality, and experiencing despair while being unable to escape, it’s wrapped up in an idiomatic bow of sleep paralysis.

“Over the Garden Wall’: 3

   Unfortunately, listeners will hit their speed bump. To sum up “Over the Garden Wall,”  it’s vanilla Deathcore with little to no hooks to speak of. It’s honestly just forgettable. The track goes nowhere, which sucks because there is still tight instrumentation. The song explores an internal dialogue of despair and a contemplation of death, questioning the will to live and what it would be like not to exist physically.

“Gone Without a Trace”: 5

   Listeners are recovered from an early fall with “Gone Without a Trace.” I can’t place a title on what type of track this is. Its slower nature makes me immediately go to a ballad, but it’s heavier. However, Ford and Smith’s guitar work is atmospheric, but at times, they sound like a Pop-Punk track. It’s odd, but on top of Roetter’s soaring vocals, it makes this song a masterpiece. “Gone Without a Trace” revolves around the painful and regretful aftermath of a relationship’s end, filled with a sense of loss, emptiness, and self-blame.

“Dissociative Being”: 5

   I absolutely love this combination. “Dissociative Being” is a mixture of “Paradigm Trigger” with the darker aspect of Metalcore that LMTF has mastered. On top of the gut-wrenchingly emotional composition of “Gone Without a Trace.” Roetter goes all out on the vocals. Smith and Ford’s guitarwork reflects a rhythmic, sporadic stylization of European Progressive Metalcore. It’s effective and takes on a newer meaning of the sub-genre. The song is about the self-destructive nature of someone who has ruined everything around them and, in their destructive pursuit, has become parasitic to the lives of others, leaving lasting, “staining” emotional damage.

“The Shepard’s Crown”: 3

   I’m not sure why I can’t connect with this track. Its placement on the tracklist is odd due to having cleaner tracks surrounding it. But I think Smith and Evan’s rhythm work hits the spot perfectly. Despite that, the song doesn’t have any prominent hooks, making it forgettable. “Shepard’s Crown” is a brutal dissection of a crumbling relationship with religion, ultimately leading to the death of faith. 

“To Know Is to Die”: 4

   Going onward, this track returns to the darker Metalcore application of the top half of the album. This is by far the best example of how powerful Roetter’s harsh vocals are, even if they are archaic in nature. Evans’ bass playing adds to the atmosphere of the album, making it feel like the runtime is in the room with the listener. Smith and Ford’s riffs in this album come to a zenith on this track, the atmospheric, at times Blackgaze riffs partner perfectly with the simplistic chugging in the verses.

“Kintsugi”: 5

   Wow. I can’t even put into words how powerful this track truly is. Its placement is perfect, with it being a slower song. Smith and Ford pull back on the atmosphere and delve into punchier riffage, which adds to the emotion of the song. Roetter doesn’t just soar, he pours into every lyric within the choruses, even the bridge has a lot of emotional depth, even if it’s just reduced to a lingering clean guitar and shrill whispers on behalf of Roetter. “Kintsugi” centers on the struggle to heal from emotional brokenness, using the Japanese art of kintsugi (repairing broken pottery with gold) as a metaphor for finding strength and beauty in scars.

“Everything That Once Held it Together”: 4

   “Everything That Once Held it Together” is like a perfect combination plate at the local Chinese restaurant, on the narrative themes and musical ones as LMTF delved into the first couple of tracks. Even though by the time I got to this track, it started to get a little tiring, I still feel it’s a perfect approach. The band goes all in and speaks to the emotional side of the album. The song is about the experience of watching something fundamental in life—a belief system, a relationship, or a sense of self—disintegrate, and questioning what remains when it does.

“The Depths I Roam”: 5

   I was fairly surprised by how this track was approached. At first, I thought this would be a ballad-like song full of emotion to close out the record. But what we got was a much-needed route of heaviness. The track takes on a traditional Deathcore approach, similar to Fit For An Autopsy or a less sludgier Acacia Strain. Its magnitude is felt through the colossal-esque tones of Evans’ bass. Yet alone, Roetter commands the room with an odd perspective of melodic substance. Lyrically, it refers to a struggle with self-destructive behaviors, addiction, or coping with pain.

 “What Do We See When We Leave This Place?”: 4

   What a Finale. LMTF wraps up everything in a grandiose bow, filled with a persistent act of relief, even if it’s not befitting to the listener. The only type I felt the same way about a piece of media was Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. The ending, being unconventional, left something empty within me. But in the end, I knew it was well-needed. The finale is a reflection on finality and a questioning of the afterlife, particularly in the context of death and the end of a relationship.

  Overall, the album perfectly follows up No Eternity in Gold, while also establishing its own identity within their catalogue. The new approach they have taken truly has changed my outlook on the sub-genre and cemented them as giants within it.