Buffalo quartet Until I Wake — new vocalist Justin Smith, alongside bassist Ryan Ridley, guitarists August Geitner and Niko Karras, and drummer Alex Curtin — recently announced their new album Renovate. It arrives on December 6 via Fearless Records and is now available for pre-order.
On Renovate, the band has upped the ante, cranking all knobs to 11. Pummeling verses collide with soaring, arena-ready choruses, all of which are backed with percussion so immediate it could replace your own heartbeat and a relentless barrage of neck snapping riffs — the kind that hard rock fans can’t get enough of.
Today, the band shared the lyric video for latest single “Messenger.” Smith shares more about the new track:
“‘Messenger’ is a story of faith in what we cannot see or understand. The feeling that something is watching over us and guiding us from pain to growth. I wrote this song based off of a dream that strongly influenced my life toward the path of music and my faith in God.”
Until I Wake show off their moody side here. The band sprinkles hip-hop-inspired choruses and rhythms among its signature blend of molten metal, raging riffs, and alternately sung and screamed vocals. Fans of Linkin Park will find themselves magnetically attracted to UIW and “Messenger,” which boasts a sick, galloping solo before a beautiful fade out.
Until I Wake have leveled up every element of their sound, and are re-invigorated by the addition of new singer Smith. They’ve honed their live chops with nonstop touring, appeared at key festivals, such as Download, Welcome to Rockville, Upheaval, and more, and have garnered press praise from Blabbermouth, Outburn, Kerrang!, and Alternative Press while amassing millions of streams. Now armed with a killer sophomore album and their lineup cemented, Until I Wake are poised to become “ones to watch” in the hard rock scene.
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