Formed by Attack Attack! drummer Andrew Wetzel, following that group’s dissolution in 2013, Nine Shrines is an Ohio-based band that flirts with a number of genres loosely based around metalcore, albeit with a healthy dose of nu-metal defiantly present in the mix. The band has a rich pedigree, with Andrew having recruited two members of the now-defunct Life on Repeat (bassist Devon Voisine and guitarist Andrew Baylis), Downplay guitarist Evan McKeever and ex-Strangers of Wolves vocalist Chris Parketny. Although the band nominally formed in 2014, it wasn’t until a stable line up was achieved in 2017 that the first fruits of their endeavour appeared in the form of the self-produced EP Misery. Despite the various members’ misgivings about the vagaries of the industry, the lead single from the EP clocked up over a million streams on Spotify, which helped to garner the attention of the renowned Mascot label and now the band have dropped their debut album, Retribution Therapy.
Opening as they mean to go on, in a haze of feedback and down-tuned guitars, Nine Shrines make no secret of their ambitions on Nimrod. A crunchy number with a nu-metal vibe, Chris’ predominantly clean vocal on the verse is shot through with elements of rap reminiscent of Linkin Park’s accessible sound, whilst a chunky chorus and harmonised lead guitars show a hard rock influence amidst the gleaming, modern trappings found elsewhere. Nimrod is a good, if somewhat predictable, start and it is given a resolute stomping by the bristling title track which sounds like Filter and Linkin Park going head-to-head with Coal Chamber. Third track chain reaction puts the synths at the fore and is another bid to reach the masses with the band’s melodic nous initially to the fore until the band’s metal instincts ultimately win out and the piece explodes. To paraphrase a line from the song, it’s music designed to get under your skin, and this it does with comparative ease, the band proving adept at keeping things suitably heavy without sacrificing the memorable, melodic edge required of a mainstream proposition. Ringworm has a BMTH vibe, albeit with a tougher, more metallic production than that band has used post-sempiturnal, and Chris’ enraged delivery borders on the manic. Elsewhere, Happy Happy is a song laden with bitter irony and a chorus to die for whilst dead closes the first half of the album on a heavy note, the full-tilt chorus once again reminiscent of BMTH’s accessible-yet-heavy sound (with hints of Happy song floating through the mix).
An unexpected left-field turn sees Nine Shrines edge into VAST territory on the subtle, hazy hymn, essentially a segue that plunges the listener into album highlight conjure with its nursery rhyme lyrics and seething riff. It’s here, where the band seek to push beyond the horizons indicated on the first half of the album that they truly excel and whilst there’s nothing wrong with the soaring choruses of Nimrod and chain reaction, it’s clear that Nine Shrines have no problem in trying out new ideas when the mood takes them. In contrast, pretty little psycho is the sort of hard rock epic that Michael Bay might use to close a movie, all blood ‘n’ thunder built around the sort of gargantuan hook that would land Moby Dick. The band slow things down for Ghost, another track with a Linkin Park – via Shinedown vibe, the woah-woah-woah bridges custom built for huge arenas the world over. With the album racing towards its conclusion, sick like me sees hefty synth pads vying for supremacy over some seriously meaty guitars on a track that sounds like Disturbed covering Depeche Mode. As such, the searing finale, counterfeit comes as a considerable surprise, as if the band decided to lose this one last opportunity to truly let go, Chris delivering an absolutely vicious performance over a backing of rampaging guitar work. It’s a devastating conclusion, arguably the heaviest song on the album, and it leaves the listener very much wanting more.
Retribution Therapy is a boldly ambitious, expertly-crafted album that captures the attention over the course of its twelve tracks. Where the record falters is that the band do little to vary the dynamic, with the majority of tracks following a fairly strict structure of seething verse – soaring chorus. Not that there’s anything wrong with this, but on the rare moments when the band does break free from these self-imposed shackles (such as on the Hymn – Conjure pairing), they prove to be capable of even greater things. Nonetheless, there’s no questioning the ability of Nine Shrines to craft gargantuan hooks and, unless you’re made of stone, you’ll end up humming one or more of the tracks on offer for days on end following even a cursory listen. A band for whom the future holds great things, Retribution Therapy is a strong debut indeed. 8/10
