SONG REVIEW: Living In My Shadow - "War Inside"
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Living In My Shadow unleash high tempo djenty ripper “War Inside”
Written by JD Walker
You know a song is good when it makes you want to start a circle pit in your living room from the very get-go. Living In My Shadow seemingly went for this reaction and achieved it perfectly in their new single “War Inside”, a fast-paced banger of a song laden with breakdowns, chugs, and enough heaviness to crack a mountain in half.
“War Inside” wastes absolutely no time getting down to business - the song begins with a filtered breakbeat before kicking straight into an aggressive, balls-to-the-wall riff capped off by an insane blastbeat. The first verse gives the listener a bit of a breather with clean vocals from vocalist Jake Caricofe before slowly transitioning from unclean vocals into a high energy chorus. The song bounces between auditory velocities and has a wide range of dynamics but carries the same energy throughout the entirety of the song.
“War Inside” showcases blistering alternate picking and disgusting chugs from guitarists Zach Simpson and Taylor Smith with Doug De Castro holding down the low end on bass. The instrumentalists sound incredibly tight on the song which is a necessity for a good djent song, though where many djent bands fail is in the department of dynamics and songwriting - that’s where Living In My Shadow excels. Just as the listener is almost overwhelmed with intense sections, the band drops back into a more restrained section driven by clean vocals and textural guitarwork.
Any metalcore or djent band worth their salt knows that your song is only as good as the final breakdown, and Living In My Shadow absolutely delivers in this department without going overboard. The final minute of the song features a scorching breakdown that cashes in on the energy built throughout the song and transitions perfectly into one final catchy chorus. “War Inside” overall is a clinic in how to build tension in a song and release it in one quick, angry, insane breakdown.
Living In My Shadow clearly aimed to push their limit in how heavy they can be while still being cognizant of the song orchestration as a whole and how it flows together. “War Inside” is an absolute ripper of a song, but isn’t at all overbearing and has a nice dynamic range that keeps the listener engaged and guessing what might come next. Overall, “War Inside” would make an excellent addition to any playlist requiring high energy and intensity and might just get some people to start moshing in the comfort of their own home.