SONG REVIEW: Fate DeStroyed - "Death Signs (ft. Jason Alessi)"
“One of the most talented and original bands in the scene right now”
by Jesse Smith
Before writing this review, earlier today I was thinking about how there has been an influx of amazing new talent recently. Now I’m not sure if I just have been ignorant, but even so I have just thought about the up and coming acts that I recently have heard and seen that really have just blown me away. Fate DeStroyed is 100% at the top of this list. With literal decades of heavy music being written, Fate DeStroyed has really set themselves apart and have really created a very unique sound for themselves. Looking back on their older material, the Los Angeles based group has always been hovering somewhere in the pocket between modern metalcore and straight up metal. What really sets them apart is the performance delivered by vocalist Francesca De Struct, very open and atmospheric which creates a seductive mood until her screams come out of nowhere. This is until October of 2021 when the band released their single “Death Signs”.
Death Signs starts off unlike any other Fate DeStroyed song by opening with a 808 Trap style beat. This new change up is an immediate attention grabber, pushing the boundaries of what they were and moving in a more “Nu Metal” direction which has been super popular recently. As the instruments play in and out of the beat almost as a subtle build up while Francesca breaks free from her previous chains and steps forward with a rap-esc vocal flow but still keeping that alluring vocal delivery that they are known for. Moving into the verse, the band fully jumps in but still to me it still feels like part of the build up to what will be, in my opinion, the powerhouse of the song; The Chorus. Seeming to just let it all out and open up the song, bring it to a new height. Easy to sing and still have that heavy drive behind it. This track features Jason Alessi, which is an impractical guest feature to have, but somehow just skyrockets the song from really good to great. This whole song is a boundary push not only for what metal is, but what Fate DeStroyed is, and let me tell you it fucking kills.
Since the release of this song, the band has released an EP called “Two Toned Hearts” where some of the songs continue down the path of flirting with the nu metal sound. In seriousness though, there is no band that sounds like them that I can think of. They are a mix of Arch Enemy and Deftones but in a very modern stadium metal way. This is a band that you have to see live in order to 100% fully appreciate as well. Every time I see them they put on a better and better show. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see them on the US festival circuit in the next coming years because that is where they should be. Honestly, I would be shocked if they weren’t.