Back with their sixth studio album, Polyphia has released their highly anticipated new album, BE NOT AFRAID. The instrumental metal group is made up of guitarists Tim Henson, Scott LePage, bassist Clay Gober, and drummer Clay Aeschilman. It’s been four years since the Texan band's last album, Remember That You Will Die. Since then, their loyal fan base has skyrocketed to over 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The band is redefining and popularizing instrumental metal music, making their message loud and clear without any lyrics.
The record starts off with "LET THERE BE LIGHT.” An echoey guitar starts us off that crescendos into a bass-heavy electronic beat. The track also features some heavenly chorus-like sounds layered throughout the established guitar and electric beats. “WITH EYES TO SEE" introduces a beat with a groovy futuristic feel. Almost halfway through the song there is a switch-up in the beat. It slows down and becomes a really bass-heavy explosion. It’s like you're running through a minefield as all these epic heavy beats are exploding around you. “WITH EYES TO SEE” fades into the next track, “SCREWTAPE.” The industrial beat and distorted guitar really showcase the talents of the guitarists in this band. This is one of the shorter tracks on the album that any guitar player is going to listen to and think, “how the hell did they do that?”
“POWER IN THE BLOOD” strikes with those incredibly fast guitars once again. The song kind of reminds me of a badass video game fight. There’s a lot going on but also moments that zone you into an atmosphere unlike any other. Switching to a more mischievous vibe, “THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO” has lighter strings in the beginning that are then slammed into strong guitar riffs and beats. The song also brings a heavier vibe towards the end of the song that later comes full circle with the return of the light strings finishing off the track.
“MARK OF THE BEAST” starts off more hip hop heavy in the beginning. There are some distorted lyrics/spoken word that lead into ambient guitar plucking. It doesn’t take long for the heavier beats to drop in along with those signature guitar screeches that Polyphia is best at. The song gives moments for the guitar to shine, pausing all sound effects and just letting the guitar speak for itself. “CAN YOU FEEL IT” gives 80's synths their moment. The intro of the track introduces these 80s-sounding synths that are synced in so perfectly into Polyphia’s signature song. This song highlights how expansive Polyphia are, artistically. Wasting zero time with “NEAR DEATH,” bringing you into the world of Polyphia. This track is definitely what I would consider to be one of their rhythmically faster songs. If I were a runner, I would be adding this song so quickly onto my running playlist. “J-BOMB” reminds us of their hip hop influences and almost gives a feeling of champion to it. I can imagine this song going so well with a sports highlight reel for some reason. There’s an air of confidence to it that stands out in a way that’s different from the rest of the songs off the album. “DENY THE FLESH,” also has that same confidence to it. There’s a power behind this track that really gives this song an edge in comparison to the rest of the albums. There are parts of the song where the guitar slows down but still maintains its power.
The bells in “DEVIL GET BEHIND ME” are ecclesiastical, echoing in the beginning of the track. There’s a lot of speed behind this track as it progresses, and it's incredibly impressive. This song feels like such a headbanger I can just already picture the barricade of their shows going absolutely insane for this song. The final track, “FEAR GOD,” has this otherworldly theme to it that is unwavering. No matter how drastic of a change up there is in the song, it feels like it came from a different universe. This song brings chaos and dare I say…fear. There are parts of the song/rhythm that do repeat but explore very different sounds throughout the almost five-minute track.
The entire album has an avant-garde profoundness to it. Polyphia, not only in this album, but in general, have this individualism about them that is unlike anything else. There are theatrics within each track that leave you breathless in only a way Polyphia can do. You can tell the band seems to be inspired by so many different influences. That is not only reflected not only in their entire body of work but especially in this album.
