Being a largely underground metal band is not an easy existence but This Dying Hour, despite having experienced more difficulties than many bands, continue to produce excellent music and their latest single, A Dying Flame, is no exception.
Although a metalcore band at heart, This Dying Hour have no desire to endlessly bludgeon their listener, and across the course of its three minutes, like many tracks by the band, A Dying Flame travels through a number of sections. Building piano (which returns during the song) atop a crackling, ominous background during the first thirty seconds, A Dying Flame further displays This Dying Hour’s ever developing approach to song structure, dynamics and atmosphere. Drummer Duncan Lee and bassist Nat Douglas give the song room to breath but their propulsive approach as a rhythm section give the song its full-blooded heart, while guitarist Ash Whitelock delivers yet another extremely solid performance. He has no need for histrionic playing, always considering the needs of the song above all. Seamlessly transitioning between explosive, high-energy moments and introspective aspects, the band have produced another cohesive, emotionally charged mini-epic.
Vocalist Steve Kerr displays the full range of his abilities: from his authoritative, forceful screaming vocals to euphonic but at times vulnerable clean singing. This vulnerability is no accident; it perfectly reflects his approach to lyric writing which is brooding, contemplative and forlorn. Kerr is prepared to fully explore the inner psyche of the human mind and is uncompromising in his view of modern life.
In the opening lyrics, the unending human desire for more is brutally explored. Our understanding (or more accurately misunderstanding) of contentment suggests that even though we achieve a level of success or satisfaction, there is a persistent desire for more and some individuals are willing to go to extreme measures to avoid their perceived stagnation associated with feeling ordinary. We once had everything / That we could ever want / We wanted just a little bit more / To save feeling mediocre.
Throughout the track, there a sense of defiance and resistance in the face of judgement and hypocrisy. We light our torches / We will never learn / Our consequences / Will outlive the fires our spirits burn / You search for cancer but never look within / Your hands are decorated in only your sins. Kerr’s assessment of our actions having a lasting impact beyond what is immediately visible, coupled with the dichotomy of self-analysis and external judgement, is accurately caustic. How others judge us by standards to which they do not hold themselves accountable is a key theme of the track.
Elsewhere, the song examines the difficulty in reclaiming one’s enthusiasm after experiencing disappointment or setbacks. Reconnecting with our ambitions (while not succumbing to the drastic actions mentioned earlier) and regaining inspiration and drive gives the song its title. You need to desire to ignite a dying flame / When you’re stoking the chars of a scorched heart.
With their enticing musical hooks and intense lyrics, fans of bands such as Of Mice and Men and Motionless in White would certainly enjoy what This Dying Hour have to offer and they deserve every success.
While A Dying Flame is sure to bring more fans to the band, further trials await This Dying Hour in the near future as A Dying Flame is to be the last song featuring both vocalist Steve Kerr and drummer Duncan Lee. The duo have been valuable and integral parts to the ongoing story of This Dying Hour and neither will be easy to replace (including Kerr's additional work as the band's artist). Douglas and Whitelock have no doubt that This Dying Hour will continue and the search for new members has already begun. It will be fascinating to see where they head next…
A Dying Flame is out now. Purchase it on iTunes at https://music.apple.com/gb/album/a-dying-flame-single/1708798432
Written: 28th October 2023
Watch the official lyric video for A Dying Flame below.