Fifteen years into their career, Volumes have become one of metalcore’s most stubborn survivors. While plenty of peers splintered or softened, the Los Angeles quartet kept chiseling away at their hybrid of groove‑driven riffs, hardcore bite, and dual‑vocal interplay. Their fifth album, Mirror Touch, feels like both a consolidation of everything they’ve built and a reminder that they’re still restless enough to push forward.
The singles already out, “Sidewinder” and “S.O.A.P.,” show the band’s range. “Sidewinder” coils around venomous imagery, opening with “I watched it die right in front of me / Broken wing, no song to sing.” It’s a track about betrayal and punishment, laced with snake metaphors and a hook‑in‑the‑mouth breakdown that makes its rage feel personal. By contrast, “S.O.A.P.” takes a darker, more atmospheric turn. Lines like “Did you need a damage plan? / Did you need a one‑night friend? / Let me dirty your soul” frame indulgence and cleansing as two sides of the same destructive cycle. Industrial textures and the push‑pull of Barr and Terry’s vocals make it one of the band’s most sinister cuts to date. Together, the singles sketch out the balance of familiarity and experimentation that defines the record.
Across the album, the interplay between Michael Barr and Myke Terry gives the songs their teeth. Barr’s sharper edge and Terry’s smoother delivery create a push‑pull dynamic that keeps even the heaviest moments emotionally charged. The rhythm section, anchored by Raad Soudani and Nick Ursich, keeps the grooves thick and the atmosphere dense without ever feeling suffocated. Lyrically, Mirror Touch wrestles with cycles of habit, resilience, and self‑reckoning. It doesn’t reinvent Volumes’ wheel, but it sharpens it — a reminder that their longevity comes from refusing to dilute their identity.
Fifteen years in, they sound heavier, tighter, and more assured than ever. Mirror Touch is Volumes reminding listeners that their corner of heavy music is still theirs to command.
I’m Drew, the founder and editor of Front of the Stage. I have a strong love for music and photography, which started at a very young age. There’s just something I love about experiencing live music and capturing memories that will last a lifetime, and that’s how Front of the Stage came to be.
