The twinkly clean guitar that opens Invoker’s debut fulllength could lull you into believing they’ve released an indie record, but that’s before the vocals kick in. This Swiss mob recall Defeater and Being As An Ocean if they were angrier, heavier and faster, and the pace doesn’t let up as the album ploughs on. A hardcore record at its heart, it doesn’t allow the parameters of the genre to stop experimentation. The speedy double-pedal work on the groovy Alone veers into death metal territory, while Haunt Me’s melodic chorus and squealing guitars recall retro thrash. The harmonised clean vocals on Deathwish wouldn’t sound out of place on an Alice In Chains record, but the most surprising moment is Idyll, a spoken-word account of living with anxiety, soundtracked by wistful clean guitars. There’s plenty here for those with even a passing interest in hardcore, and enough subtle exploration within to leave you wanting more.
Invoker - Four Wall Nightmare album review
Energetic hardcore crew give themselves room to manoeuvre
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
More about metal hammer
"They are honouring Chester's memory but also creating their own legacy." How Linkin Park pulled off the biggest comeback of 2024
"Every night of our tour, we'd get a report about weapons being confiscated." We went backstage with Powerwolf, Hammerfall and Wind Rose on the power metal tour of the year - and it was even more ludicrous than we'd imagined
