Album Review: InVisions – Deadlock (Self Released)

Since forming in York in 2016 from the ashes of their previous bands, InVisions have become one of the hungriest and most promising bands of the British metalcore scene. Now InVisions return with their third album, Deadlock, their most complete and ambitious statement to date. It will be released on February 11th, 2022.

Who says the best metalcore only comes from places like Australia? Ok, we’ve said that a few times but we’re more than aware that British metalcore scene is red hot too. All thanks to bands like InVisions who return after a lengthy pandemic forced downtime to release their best work to date. Yes, there it is. Deadlock is InVisions’ crowning glory and sees the metalcore mob start to introduce new and fresh elements while still delivering a stompy, groovy and circle-pit album of mayhem.

The word that comes to mind is passion and InVisions have it in bucketloads. The other word that comes to mind is intensity and goodness, do InVisions showcase that. The blistering opener of The 6 6 9 has them digging down deep to pull out one of their heaviest and most aggressive sounding tracks. Half Life is a ball of energy primed to go off at any second, InVisions going hell for leather in the best way possible but also showcasing an immense chorus. Watch out for the breakdown, it will snap bones and destroy cartilage.

Then Annihilist shows a deeper understanding of melody and how important an infectious chorus can be to heavy as balls metalcore. One of, if not the catchiest tracks that InVisions have ever produced and a contender for one of 2022’s best metalcore tracks.

The high quality continues on as D V P E swings fists and feet like a petulant child, Hindsight’s stomping heaviness is offset by powerful melody and exceptional groove, and the title track is as grand as it gets, InVisions spitting barbs and spraying some technically sound riffs about.

Does it get any better than this? Last Light and Amour are proof that it does. The former’s build up off aggression erupts and becomes a wild example of the continued fervent presentation of InVisions’ in 2022. While the latter takes some of its cues from the ‘deathier’ side of metal. A ferocious and fiery effort that has some really nasty vocal roars.

D E A L E R is as close as you’re going to get to ‘metalcore 101’ with this album and that certainly isn’t a slight on InVisions. In fact, it speaks volumes that InVisions make it seem so easy and still deliver a banger of a heavyweight listen as this.

A glorious album must end eventually though and InVisions bring things to a close. First with the short, haunting, and melodic Inertia before going all out for the ender of Fall with Me. A finale that builds an appropriate amount of chaos before settling into a technically sound rhythm and delivering one last smash-mouth, bone-crunching bout of metalcore goodness.

Deadlock is the kind of injection that the UK metalcore scene needs and confirms InVisions as one of the stars of the metal scene in general.

InVisions – Deadlock Full Track Listing:

1. The 6 6 9
2. Half Life
3. Annihilist
4. D V P E
5. Hindsight
6. Deadlock
7. Last Light
8. Amour
9. D E A L E R
10. Inertia
11. Fall with Me

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