We didn’t care for Digimortal, the last “proper” Fear Factory record, at all (Read: All 4 original members on the same recording). The Cyber Metal vets at a crossroads, Nu-Metal setting the Heavy world on fire, and a band not sure if they wanted to be just a heavier Linkin Park going forward (It is CRAZY that their most streamed single on Spotify is the very LP-esque “Linchpin” off that record). There were moments of hope on Digimortal for sure. “Acres Of Skin” is still a monster as is “What Will Become” but when they stumbled, they stumbled hard. Then imploded. While we do think that Nashville’s Coping Method is a whole other kind of Heavy monster that’s surpassed those masters already in their young career, we feel that especially on the upcoming Where Spirit Meets Bone full-length they also take that hybrid Cyber Metal sound and run with it. Far.
And that’s going to be where that comparison line of thinking ends because the instant “Inhuman” goes all in to start WSMB with an explosion of bombast it’s like Bad Omens’ “ARTIFICIAL SUICIDE” cranked to 22 mixed with Bring Me The Horizon circa Suicide Season. Hell, if you were looking to compare then that mix would be the hot take with a slick Cyber Metal sheen over all. Moving forward, we couldn’t tell ya how much we listened to “Hypomania” when we got the single back in August of 2023 but it was a lot. We listened to the futuristic shredder driven by Jed Stark’s massive guitar and synths, Chad Wunderie’s banging beats, and Tyler Simpson’s hypnotic screams and swoons to the extent that we were fine if nothing new ever followed it. Within WSMB, however, there’s “Obliterate Me” which is a Linkin Park-like beastie if they were ever to attempt proper Metal especially with Simpson’s vocal cadence at the intro and throughout.
“Underground” is like heading back to the world of Tron: Legacy with Nu-Metal tendencies with some big grooves from Wunderie and a killer chorus from Simpson with “Erratic Fantasy” offering one heavy ass bout of futuristic fury. “Closing In (Feat. REEBZ)” is an epic cyber psychotic breakdown from start to finish that’s like Apartment 26 and Fear Factory (Oops) teaming up and a vocal back and forth collab from Simpson and REEBZ similar to BMTH’s outings with both Baby Metal and Grimes. But better. And heavier. “Nightmare Circles” is a big Industrial-sized Breaking Benjamin with a huge, sweeping chorus, the title track is just pure “Coping Method” through and through on a song that’s the epitome of their hybrid sound, and “Trench” sounds bigger than everything up until now for a massive grower that climbs and climbs into this beastly peak filled with sick Wunderie hits, Simpson’s Jekyll meets Hyde vocal style, and Stark’s larger than life guitar sounds and synths that create an epic atmosphere. Speaking of epic, that’s “Immunogen” in a nutshell which embodies that feel for one final bow and sees the Coping Method sound amplified and aurally transcendent as they close out their debut full-length.
Where Spirit Meets Bone drops on October 9th through FiXT. To pre-order and pre-save your copy, head here or here. For more from Coping Method, follow the trail of socials across the interwebs when you click here, here, or here.