Hailing from Argovia, Switzerland, Final Story is a little-known metal band that has not released an album since 2015. Whether it be their lack of releases or their small metal scene, the band has not broken through to the spotlight just yet. With the new album, Savaged Soul, though, Final Story sounds on par with their genre counterparts like Memphis May Fire, Asking Alexandria, Wage War, etc. Their time to shine is now, as this record shows that in 5 years, they haven’t lost a beat.

Savaged Soul opens with “Chasing Myself”, as vocalist Mathias Sax verbalizes over a beefy riff. The highlights of this song are the tapping sections in the verses, as well as the blistering pace of its last 20 seconds. “Avalanche” follows this, retaining the powerful tone, but showing the band can hold a competent melody as well. The title track follows, giving another taste of the mix of heavy and soft. Being able to seamlessly transition between a breakdown riff and a meaningful verse is impressive.

“Bulletproof” follows with the lite orchestral opening, a staple in this genre. The aforementioned meshing of the moods is best executed here, and the chorus is one of the catchiest in Savaged Soul. This song features Bear, who raps in his native language, which is a unique choice, but it works in the scope of the track. “Slave” features no unclean vocals, and is another highlight song, with determined, persevering lyrical content. Just because the song is considerably softer doesn’t mean it isn’t up to snuff with the rest of the album.

We get back into the heavier stuff with “Faceless”. The breakdown at 2:42 is an absolute ripper with a solid buildup and a welcome payoff. Next is “Holy Truth”, continuing the trend of larger-than-life choruses after crushing verses with a satisfying breakdown. While it becomes a bit formulaic, there is ample variance in the instrumentation to maintain the listener’s attention. The consistency is deviated with the following song, “Closer”, which features singer Maria Lessing. This tune is a relaxed, focused romp which sees vocal tradeoffs in great fashion.

The first single for the record, released back in early 2018, is “Fall”, fitting right at home in Savaged Soul with the rest of the album’s structure following suit. Things close out with “Underdog”, another heavy-hitter chock full of riffs and a strong bridge to add depth. As Savaged Soul comes to a conclusion, this makes for an optimal final track, with gang vocals in the second half of the song.

Overall, Savaged Soul is a great addition to any metalcore playlist. It doesn’t do a lot to reinvent or revamp the genre, but it strays from the genre norms enough to be an album that does not deserve to be ignored. While some songs can be synonymous with the bands I mentioned in the first paragraph, Final Story is far from generic, and this album shows growth after their older effort, Carpathia. If you’re looking for a new metalcore jam, Savaged Soul should be right up your alley!

A review copy was provided by Final Story for early listening

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