SPIRITBOX are leading a charge of new bands making heavy music feel exciting again. With their new EP 'The Fear of Fear', they're pushing forward yet again. Check out the latest cover story for our New Music Friday playlist edit, The Cut.

Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Jonathan Weiner.

Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Knocked Loose, Loathe, Scowl, Militarie Gun, Static Dress, Nova Twins. The list of bands making heavy music feel exciting again is growing at a rapid rate, but it's impossible to have that conversation without mentioning Spiritbox, who are very much leading the charge.

The band formed in 2017 and, over their first few years, released a stream of songs that dove between brutality and beauty. After building a considerable amount of online buzz, debut album 'Eternal Blue' was eventually released in 2021. Featuring ferocious metalcore breakdowns, glitching electronics, gorgeous production and emotional lyrics that dealt with depression, anxiety and self-doubt, the band were rightly championed as the next big thing in metal.

After touring with the likes of Ghost, Bring Me The Horizon and Slipknot, Spiritbox wrapped up their two-year victory lap with a pair of sold-out shows at London's Roundhouse back in July. Every night, those pained, personal songs became moments of celebration, catharsis and community. "It's a wonderful feeling," says vocalist Courtney LaPlante.

The band weren't thinking about crossover hits or making songs that could be sung on America's Got Talent by a 10-year-old superstar when they wrote 'Eternal Blue'. "It was far more innocent than that," says Courtney. "We just wanted to make good music."

Last year, the band released the three-track 'Rotoscope' EP, which introduced fresh shades of nu-metal and brooding dance to their sound, while today's 'The Fear Of Fear' sees Spiritbox once again push things forward.

Inspired by the sort of atmospheric soundscapes created by acts like Aphex Twin as well as the gaps in their own back catalogue, 'The Fear Of Fear' is one sprawling, 25-minute-long track, split into six different chapters. Each one has its own unique energy. Each one feels like a hit.

"I feel really free," Courtney offers. "No pun intended, but there's not a box we've put ourselves in. I think most bands in our position would have figured out their identity by now," she continues, with few metal bands able to reach the same heights as Spiritbox with just one album. "We're still a new band, though, and we haven't gotten comfortable. We're still figuring out what Spiritbox is, and I find that so exciting," says Courtney, who has no plans to settle either.

Recorded back in January to allow the band to put their all into touring for the rest of 2023, 'The Fear Of Fear' is a loose concept record that tells the tale of a person "reconciling with fate and the powerless feeling that comes with existential crises. I feel bad for being so excited about releasing a record that's so dark," adds Courtney.

Despite nailing down the concept first ("That helps me write and keeps me focused," explains Courtney), 'The Fear Of Fear' is still a deeply personal record. "I can't help it. Every time I write, it becomes an autobiography," she says. "Sometimes it's a subconscious thing, and you don't realise you're writing about depression or anxiety until the song is finished."

As for how those songs are delivered, Courtney took influence from PinkPantheress and Remi Wolf. "I'm obsessed with both those artists, but I don't think you can tell they were inspiring me when you listen to the EP, which I'm glad about. I was inspired, but I didn't just copy," says Courtney.

Spiritbox songs typically start with guitarist Michael Stringer riffing on an idea, and from there, "it'll evolve into whatever feels exciting," explains Courtney. "Michael is such a unique guitar player. Obviously, I'm biased because not only am I in the band with him, I'm also married to him, but I do think he's incredibly creative and the best around. Between that and my vocals, it always feels like Spiritbox," she adds. Understanding and embracing that took the pressure off when it came to writing 'The Fear Of Fear'. "Next time, though, maybe we'll be a little more intentional," she adds.

Earlier this week, Courtney and Michael spent their Halloween at a party thrown by the Nana of their producer, Dan Braunstein. The plan was for the pair to dress up as cows, but the company they bought their costumes from only had one in stock, so Michael ended up going as The Mandalorian. "My outfit didn't have udders either, which I was disappointed about," says Courtney.

While there, they once again began talking about the future. "There might be this expectation around our band now, but the exciting thing is, I really don't care," grins Courtney. "I just want to make music I like with my friends. It's really selfish, but I can't start thinking about what the fans want or worrying about how the next release will affect my ability to pay rent," she adds, wanting to preserve the innocence that went into making 'Eternal Blue'.

The band are due to return to Joshua Tree next month to start writing for their next release, ahead of a European tour in January with Architects and Loathe. "It's scary that I don't know what I want to do yet, but it's also exhilarating," she continues. "It's a cool, uncomfortable feeling where I don't know what's going to happen when we're in the studio, but I think it'll be good." Backed by drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert, there's a newfound confidence both onstage and off.

Over the past few years, Spiritbox's music has connected with old-school metalheads as well as a new generation of fans. "I feel like, for a while, heavy music was really uninspired," says Courtney. "Because we love different types of music, it allows us to be versatile. It's just ambitious."

They're not alone in that, either. "I see myself in bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Knocked Loose, Northlane, Motionless In White, Wage War and Loathe as well. There's this freedom to step into other musical worlds," Courtney continues, citing Bring Me The Horizon as the band that really paved the way for this new wave. "They're able to do whatever they want, and they're the most successful band in our world in 20 years. There's this mutual respect between everyone as well," adds Courtney. Rather than wrestling for the spotlight, bands are championing one another and trying to create a more inclusive community for their fans. "This scene doesn't feel like a boys club anymore, either."

When she was active in the heavy music scene in the early 2010s, "it felt very anti-women," says Courtney. "It seemed like every single metalcore song was either about overcoming an obstacle, or a girl being a slut and how she should be killed," she continues, dubbing it Incelcore. "People have latched onto the vulnerability in our music, but also we sound different because women and femme-presenting people are still underrepresented."

"The more that we're in the public eye and connecting with people, the more I'm thinking about what this band could represent," she adds. "The more I've interacted with our fans, the more I realised that even if I'm not marketing myself in some like contrived girl power way, it's still part of every fibre of me being to be a role model."

"Things that used to make me feel alienated and like I wasn't accepted, I now use as a positive," she continues. "I can play with outfits and makeup, and it feels like a superpower. I went to a Beyoncé concert this year, and one of my favourite parts was how all her fans were able to express themselves and their gender identity through fashion. I hope everyone feels able to do that at Spiritbox shows because not everyone has the privilege to do that all the time.

Courtney also wants the band to eventually become big enough to have the clout to refuse to play festival that book bands with members accused of sexual assault, and it mean something. "I want to get to a point where my opinions and beliefs can be put to good use," she says.

But after years of being told how they're the brightest, most exciting band in the heavy music scene, have Spiritbox started believing the hype? "We have a lot more confidence now, but I don't feel like that at all," she says, explaining how she's tried not to think about all the praise or the negative comments that come alongside it either. "Don't think you're a big deal because a couple people like your band, but also don't get down on yourself because a couple people think that you suck," has become something of a personal mantra. "I just want to put my head down and make music that feels fun," Courtney adds. "I find that liberating."■