Kill The Lights

Certain bonds cross any and all borders and boundaries. Kill The Lights harbor this kind of connection between them. Even though you’ve got Michael “Moose” Thomas [drums] and Jason “Jay” James [bass] in Bridgend, Wales, James Clark [vocals] in Minneapolis, MN, Jordan Whelan [guitar] in Grand Rapids, MI, and Travis Montgomery [guitar] in Dallas, TX, the musicians lock into an impenetrable groove that eclipses physical distance. Together, they rally around a tight, taut, and tough vision for heavy metal, manifesting in rafter-reaching anthems and pit-splitting riffs.

After piling up millions of streams and earning acclaim from the likes of KERRANG! and Metal Hammer, a sense of unwavering unity drives their second full-length offering, Death Melodies [Fearless Records].

“The best stuff comes when we’re together,” states Moose. “We’ll joke around for hours, have a few drinks, and the songs write themselves. We’re so connected in this way. There’s no path. We’re not trying to follow anybody. This is the first album that really sounds like Kill The Lights.”

Of course, the musicians boast an incredible pedigree…

Moose co-founded multiplatinum international heavyweights Bullet For My Valentine, while Jay also played in the band. James fronted Throw The Fight, and Jordan and Travis handled guitar duties for Still Remains and Threat Signal, respectively. Upon forming Kill The Lights, they uncovered uncontainable chemistry, releasing their debut LP The Sinner in the midst of the global pandemic. Among many highlights, “The Faceless” posted up 2 million-plus Spotify streams and counting followed by “Through The Night” and “Shed My Skin,” which each crossed the 1 million mark. Metal Hammer rated it “4-out-of-5 stars” and proclaimed, “Kill The Lights nail the groove and the glory.” Along the way, they wrote and recorded Death Melodies with sessions in Canada, Minneapolis, and across the pond in the UK with producers Chris Clancy and Colin Richardson. A complex theme coursed through the music.

“Everybody struggles with different things,” states James. “These are songs about acknowledging and sharing the struggle in life. You’re acknowledging the world is a hard place. Hopefully, you can find some solace in it by knowing another person feels the same way.”

Fittingly, they bust through the door of the next era with the single “Broken Bones.” On the track, galloping drums propel a thrashed-out riff at full speed towards a hummable hook, “You’re dead inside, but still alive. There’s nothing left but broken bones.”

“Much of the record centered around depression and dealing with anxiety,” James goes on. “So, ‘Broken Bones’ is about battling your way through life, but sticking with it.”

Vulnerable acoustic guitar sets the tone for “Sleep With The Devil” as tension swells into an emotionally charged skyscraping refrain uplifted by a six-part choir harmony. “It’s stuff you don’t hear too much on a metal record,” Jordan comments. “It stretches the places we can go.”

James adds, “In this case, the devil could be addiction or a bad relationship. You’re just addicted to something you can’t quite get away from.”

A sinewy guitar line snakes through the understated trudge of “Bleeding,” which is about “living a recurring nightmare and never being able to break the chain.” Then, there’s “From Ashes.” Guitar swings like a wrecking ball from melodic verses towards a magnetic refrain. The ride concludes on the transfixing closer “Drowning” as distortion submerges an ethereal chorus.

“It had a bit of a grungy vibe to it,” Jordan goes on. “We added some different dynamics on the record that weren’t there on the first one.”

In the end, Kill The Lights invite everyone to partake in their bond now.

“When you hear us, I hope you like us for what we are as Kill The Lights,” Jay leaves off. “We’ve all spent time in previous bands, but we’re so proud of what we’ve done now.”

“This is just five guys who love music,” concludes James. “It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is, which is a group of musicians making metal.”

Moose puts it best, “As a metal fan for my whole life, I haven’t heard an album this catchy in a long time. We really aimed to deliver—and I believe we did.”