Project Description
Counterparts
‘Nothing Left To Love’
(Album Review)
Reviewer: Laura Hughes
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Metalcore royalty Counterparts have officially released their sixth studio album Nothing Left To Love. This album dives into the depths of vocalist Brendan Murphy’s mind and topics of his past, such as life’s darkness, self-destructive tendencies, and the hauntingly powerful opening lyric “Will you love me when there’s nothing left to love”.Counterparts have always been a band to never stray away from raw and honest topics of depression, heartbreak, and self-destructive habits that you can’t seem to shake, however, I believe that this album is their most raw and powerful release to date. It struck a chord within me and left me bubbling over with feelings. So without further ado here are my thoughts on Nothing Left To Love.
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‘Love Me’ is a powerful opening song, with the heartbreaking opening lyric that sets the mood for this album, “will you love me when there’s nothing left to love”, if you are expecting heartbreak in this album then you would be correct, because this is just the start to what lies ahead.
‘Wings of Nightmares’ starts with that loveable and well know Counterpart opening guitar vibe, with distorted melodic guitar, and heavy bass thumping. I can feel the emotions being poured out onto every word leaving his lips. “You hold my lifeless body to your heart, and convince yourself that you can feel a pulse” these lyrics cut deep because it can be interpreted in many ways. The way I interpreted is his fantasy of death and the destruction that can be left behind for those who have to pick up the pieces. He wants to erase the pain, and this nightmare, but the nightmare will live on for those left behind.
‘Paradise and Plague’ is a song about being in the pit of your despair. You’re trying to hold onto what makes you happy, what brings light into your life, however you can’t help but falling back into the spiral of depression. “Forgive me for leaving too soon, caught in the space between paradise and plague, there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you” depicts being torn and apologetic about what they have done, but quietly begging for forgiveness and patience because in the end they’ll always want to pick you, the person or the thing that bring hope back into their life. They are caught between stuck in the so-called plague that they can’t escape whilst chasing paradise.
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‘The Hands That Used To Hold Me’ has a very angsty vibe, telling the tale of degrees of separation in a breakup, the denial, the anger, and the overwhelming sadness of what has unfolded. The feeling of waking up without them when you were so used to them being by your side. “You swore that you are still here” lyric shows him rattling his brain with the promise that they would never leave each other’s side. It feels all-consuming, and he is struggling to get through it without falling back onto old vices, whilst still hoping that this is just a dream.
‘Separate Wounds’ starts with off with an atmospheric sound playing gently with a soft melody in the background, and then it kicks in full swing, bringing the full band in. The song talks about how they are broken but differently, claiming that they are both suffering but in a different way, which draws on the reality of mental illness, because we all have different life experiences and problems that make us different from the next person. Just because one person has a different pain to you, it doesn’t make yours any less valid.
‘Your Own Knife’ starts with a dissonant melodic guitar riff before the drums take over with heavy-handed hits and thumping double kicks. If you want angry, then this song brings it in full swing. It’s fiery with lyrics that will cut deep, and bring out your inner emotions that you didn’t know that you had hidden underneath the surface.
‘Cherished’ is a very emotional song to me, it has many layers to it, and reminds me of one of their older songs – ‘Compass’. It feels very raw and open, and the way they have done the instrumentation with this song is amazing and fits it so perfectly. That feeling of being aware of your self-destructive behaviours, but also feeling trapped by them. You watch everyone you love slowly start to fade away because no matter how hard you try, you keep on slipping up and falling backward again. This song describes the feeling of hopelessness.
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‘Imprints’ is another song swelling with emotion, not just lyric-wise either. The way the band melds their instruments together to create a sound that fits a mood so well is just amazing and is something Counterparts have always been flawless at. “I hope that this flame will burn forever, I will give you every second until I die” is one of my favourite lyrics off of the album, it is sweet, but also holds a lot of emotion when Brendan Murphy sings it. There is a glimpse of hope in this song, that the darkness hasn’t completely taken over. The hope of staying on for this one thing, despite everything else trying to drag him down.
‘Ocean of Another’ paints a picture in your mind, it creates an image out of pure emotion, and the use of the word ocean paints this scene of a dark stormy sea; a sea that is filled with self-hatred and gloom, and you’re trying to crawl up the cliff’s edge to safety. The song also switches up instrumentation, as if it’s going through the motions of creating a story for the listener. Each section of instrumentation blends together perfectly, the guitar riffs changing to be more melodic, or when they reach catastrophic breakdown, but then slowing down towards the end of the song to a more laid back and atmospheric sound, with hushed vocals and soft melodies, which brings new energy into the song.
‘Nothing Left To Love’ is the final track on this album, and is the title track. It starts slow and very melodic, with a soft and whimsical airy sound that feels very sad listening to it. The vocals are also very hushed, not taking anything away from the instrument layering. I feel a slight pang in my chest listening to this song because it is so raw and open as if it’s an open letter to all those he loves. It also has a haunting lyric echoing throughout “Love me when there’s nothing left to love”, which sticks with you, and pulls out all these emotions swelling up inside.
With every album that Counterparts release they also somehow manage to outdo themselves, and make it better than the last. Nothing Left To Love is a beautiful album that contains so many emotions, and tells so many heartfelt and heart-wrenching stories. It is truly a hauntingly but also equally beautiful and eloquent album. It is everything that you wanted to hear from Counterparts and more.
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