Released 1 August
Solid State Records
A band who is progressing metalcore ever so consistently whilst staying true to their roots is Fit For A King. The Texas ‘core kings are back for their eighth LP, Lonely God and it’s poised to make an impact across the Australian heavy music community in the lead up to next year’s tour with The Plot in You.
‘Begin the Sacrifice‘ doesn’t waste time and leads us into a full scale declaration of war: cinematic, thunderous and apocalyptic. Hearing the weight of everything they’ve become as a band this past decade is poured into this opener. Almost as if it’s setting the stage up for something even bigger. ‘The Temple‘ throws straight into the fire and bleeds classic Fit For A King urgency while well-disguised as a collossal battle cry. Delivering pummelling riffs and gut-wrenching vocals with a matured edge shows just how far they’ve come eight records in.
‘Extinction‘ offers up industrial tones and destructive scenes of metal. On this track, vocalist Ryan Kirby leads the fire with a sound that doesn’t just sound heavier. They’re straddling a fine line between thrashing metalcore, a more methodical approach and the sound of a band who have mastered their art. Then comes ‘No Tomorrow‘. Clean choruses crash into vicious screams like waves smashing steel, as we witness Kirby performing with a sense of clarity. Proving a strong highlight of Lonely God, this is Fit For A King who are still packing fury, but now they know where exactly to aim.
‘Shelter‘ doubles down on the emotional weight of ‘No Tomorrow‘. Pushing further into melodic territory without dropping the intensity, it’s sweeping, heartfelt and empowering. The verses pull back just enough to let the emotion run free, while the chorus explodes with an anthemic release. It’s the kind of track that could light up a festival crowd. This track strategically catapults Fit For A King to the forefront of metalcore, as they demonstrate that heaviness doesn’t always mean breakdowns and blast beats. Sometimes it is simply found in the emotional punch of a well-placed melody.
‘Monolith‘ is a filthy descent into tech-metal chaos and it’s a beast. Featuring Aussie metalcore crew Alpha Wolf, this collab feels almost seamless as vocalist Lochie Keogh’s signature snarl and rhythms slot perfectly into Fit For A King’s world of destruction. It’s extremely heavy but also acts as a deep dive into a darker, calculated sound that shows the two bands operating at full velocity.
Title track ‘Lonely God‘ meanwhile, is nothing short of seismic. Steeped in gutturals, the track moves in massive waves of sound crashing down over and over, each drop getting filthier. Echoing through every growl and breakdown, Fit For A King embrace a near-mythic level of heaviness. Ultimately, these two tracks back-to-back demonstrate how unafraid the band are to further their craft and somewhat push the boundaries of metalcore as we know it.
Honestly, the most powerful moment of Lonely God is ‘Between Us‘. Stripped back with nothing but a glistening acoustic and Ryan’s raw vocals, it offers us something rare in this genre: space to breathe. But before you get too comfortable, the intensity builds layer by layer into a soaring, anthemic chorus powered by thumping drums and vocal delivery. It’s emotionally charged, empowering and unafraid to sit in the quiet. ‘Between Us‘ is the beating heart of the album and is quite easily one of the strongest tracks that Fit For A King have written to date.
Between that and ‘Sentient‘, Lonely God is here to showcase the band’s huge versatility from emotional depth to electronic aggression. They’re a unit who are mastering their sound and absolutely crushing it. Opening with a pulsing synth-driven heartbeat, ‘Sentient‘ is an evolved, futuristic style for the boys. Merging melody and punchy, glitchy guitars offers a taste of where the band are headed and if this is the direction, we’re all in.
With sharp-tuned guitars that cut like broken glass and a raw, underground metalcore bite, ‘Blue Venom‘ channels Alpha Wolf. Coming in short and fast like a whirlwind, this track was designed to shake the walls of the pit and leave bruises. Whereas ‘Technium‘ dives headfirst into the throttles of modern metalcore where the riffs are fractured and the growls are just downright filthy. Delivering an unpredictable stance and a surprise appearance from Landon Tewers of The Plot in You, the track consistently shifts into chaos. It’s relentless, creative and one of the heaviest cuts in the scene we’ve heard all year.
Just when you think there’s nothing left to burn, ‘Witness the End‘ closes with one final grand gesture. Opening with a haunting, cinematic slowburn, the midtrack breakdown shapeshifts the track on its head. Every riff keeps you on edge, never landing where you expect. Chris Motionless brings a theatrical darkness that elevates things further to a new level of hell, leaving Lonely God crashing to a deafening finish.
Lonely God is an album that proves Fit For A King have fully mastered the art of heavy whilst not showing any signs of slowing down. Inbetween the breakdowns, cinematic melodies and chaos, the band confidently push their sound into uncharted territory. Every track feels created with purpose, every shift calculated. It’s bold, ambitious and brutally honest. With this record fresh on fans’ minds, Fit For A King have cemented their place in today’s metalcore scene.
Rating: 8.5/10
Review By Tamara May
Stream/Purchase Lonely God here
Grab remaining tix to The Plot in You/Fit For A King’s Australian Tour in January here
Fit For A King – Lonely God tracklisting:
1. Begin the Sacrifice
2. The Temple
3. Extinction
4. No Tomorrow
5. Shelter
6. Monolith – featuring Alpha Wolf
7. Lonely God
8. Between Us
9. Sentient
10. Blue Venom
11. Technium
12. Witness the End
