Here’s another band for the ‘I’m sorry I slept on you’ file: Arkive. To make up for it, the band have our Track Of The Day today. The progressive metalcore band are a five piece from Melbourne, consisting of Court Walters, Mitch Burgess, Josh Meulman, Sam Armstrong and Tom Clarke.
It was the beautiful “Luminous” music video that found me to Arkive, and it was their stellar sound that had me stay. I admittedly have a thing for dual vocalists, especially when they seamlessly interplay with each other (Hi Deadlights!) and use their unique voices to compliment the emotion of the song.
Beginning so sparsely, the open nothingness of echoed chords at the introduction of “Luminous” is reflected in the video by light that appears to be fluid. As the first verse begins, it seems that a metaphorical chill of potential non-existence breathes down their necks, threatening to suffocate them completely.
It’s at the first chorus where you might already feel “Wow, this is a really good song”, as the band have already impressed, on all fronts: Strong sound, great vocals, and definite intrigue to know what’s coming next.
At the second verse, a beautiful voice calls out into the cold and darkness, swirling around the listener’s ears, coming with a sense of confusion as to what is real and what is not. We fall into darkness, and feel panic in its grips, reflected by the guitars as they take on a grittiness/heaviness to their sound along with the drums. And oh that riff… Oh my.
The unclean vocals try and break out into something else, with breakdowns then reflecting a sense of fight and chaoticness that’s unfolding.
There’s a call for help, seeking a way to break free, before a beautiful moment of stillness. Presence. Light. And connection.
“I am encased in cold and grey but I still see the light.”
The two people in the video have exchanged places, and I love that the feeling of “this will turn out okay” is captured in that moment even though you don’t see how it turns out. Where the cycle repeats all over again to move through struggle and finding a way out. That trust to look beyond the present struggle into something else (even if it’s not obvious in the dark) seems to be exactly what Arkive are sharing with “Luminous”. It’s a powerful message for anyone feeling stuck or contained.
“Luminous” is captivating visually as well as sonically, and the music video has brilliantly captured what is being expressed in the track.
I love it all. Watch this masterpiece, then go give Arkive some love on Facebook.
