With a penchant for quickened tempos, thrashing riffs, and ripping vocals, Philadelphia's Chemical Fix was first covered on No Echo back in 2018 via their Leisure Fear EP.
Since then, the hardcore outfit forged a relationship with Safe Inside Records (FAIM, Stepping Stone), who will be releasing their forthcoming debut LP.
"For the most part, each member of Chemical Fix worked on other projects for the past year," vocalist Bren King told me via email. "The songs to our new LP, Our Shade Casts Far, were written in 2019 and the instruments were recorded right before our winter tour with Time and Pressure in December 2019. After the tour, we tracked vocals and wrapped things up by February 2020, so the record has been completed for a minute.
"We basically just sat on the album until we felt everything was picking back up again. This felt like the best way to preserve our own excitement about the album so the music didn’t feel stale by the time we got to play the songs live."
I've been listening to an advance copy of Our Shade Casts Far and I think the record is going to blow a lot of people away. As evidence, listen to the LP's closing track, "Revolver," below:
"The main theme of Our Shade Casts Far focuses on reflecting negative characteristics in one’s self and while acknowledging the weight those traits hold," said Bren in his email to me. "It’s easy to negate our own actions or find scapegoats; however, it stifles growth.
"As I age, this idea resonates with me more. It’s a reminder to myself of darker periods of life and how to prevent similar events from repeating. The record became a lot more personal than I imagined but there's a balance of social and political themes like our previous release explored."
"A few songs on the record have multiple meanings, the surface focuses on riddling social issues while serving as a mask to describe spiraling inner dialogues. This is a comfortable way for me to articulate my voice. To me, it feels less exposing, while still providing a deeper message for those who decipher the songs’ personal significance.
"I tend to use vague language in my song writing, so if the prevalent themes don’t resonate with people, they can forge their own."
Our Shade Casts Far will be released as a 1-sided 12 inch via Safe Inside Records on August 6th. The pre-orders for the vinyl and digital both went live today.
Chemical Fix on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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