Welsh metalcore newbies I Fight Bears are premiering their debut album exclusively with Metal Hammer.
The self-titled record will be released on February 16, but you can listen to it in full below.
Speaking to Metal Hammer about the record, bassist/vocalist Drew Hamley says that the band’s original mission statement was to “create something not just sonically pleasing to potential fans but also a record we would love to have in our own collections.
“We’re very aware of modern trends in the metal scene, but we really wanted to write what felt right to us by infusing all of our biggest influences. Lyrically, a majority of the songs written by Dan (Blackmore, vocalist) focus very much on the self and the internal struggles we all face throughout our lives, whether they be mental issues or dealing with failing romantic relationships. In the lyrics I’ve written, I focus more on geopolitical issues and world problems that we face in this day and age. For me personally, the songs that I love the most and love to play live are the ones we’ve chosen to release as singles.”
The band have previously released videos for opening track Hammers, Envision and Lost The Fight.
“Hammers is very much our statement of intent and manages to showcase each band member’s talents individually, and as part of what makes I Fight Bears what it is,” says Drew. “Dan’s lyrics emphasise battles with mental health that many of us face in our lives, and how to open up about them while fighting to keep moving forward. Lost The Fight our second single is a powerhouse of riffs, the track is dynamically interesting and has a very old school breakdown. Envision, our latest single is again a combination of beautiful riffs, harmonies and melodies, as well as a ripping solo towards the end of the track. Dan wrote the song about finally stepping out of a bad place but managing to foresee a brighter future despite the inevitable challenges ahead.
“The one thing I love about this record is how Dan and I handle it vocally. Blending Dan’s dystopian overtones with my clean melodies gives each song an interesting dynamic. The record took around two years to demo, write, record and produce and we couldn’t be more happy with the outcome. We’re thrilled with the songs we’ve managed to conceive together but also thrilled with the fact we managed to record and produce this all ourselves. Now we’re looking forward to everyone getting their hands on this record and to us moving forward and writing many more.”
I Fight Bears’ debut album is available digitally from February 16.
