Enduring California metallers Of Mice & Men get fired up on anthemic ninth album, Another Miracle.
After nearly two decades in the game, Of Mice & Men have proven time and again that adaptability is their strongest asset. Another Miracle showcases a band unafraid to evolve, crafting a sound that’s darker, deeper and more self-assured than ever before. Written, produced and engineered entirely by the band, this ninth chapter encapsulate what fans have come to love. It feels refined and reimagined.
Opener A Waltz eases things in with eerie electronics and cinematic tension, the kind of track that feels born to launch a live set in smoke and strobe. It’s unsettling, hypnotic and signals that Another Miracle isn’t here to play it safe.
Then comes Wake Up. With its swelling atmospherics and towering chorus, it’s an exercise in balance, with the quartet seamlessly merging ethereal melodies and crushing riffs, OM&M at their most expansive, urging listeners to be present, to feel everything.
Troubled Water dives even darker, with its theme of one-sided relationships and emotional parasites creating a venomous anthem. You can feel the very fibre of the band pulsating through, from the sledgehammer breakdown to the pumping electronic undertones, it’s a track built to detonate festival pits.
Elsewhere, Flowers stands tall as one of the record’s most unexpected moments. Mysterious and beautifully restrained, it carries an almost Sleep Token-like allure before blooming into a colossal, soul-stirring crescendo. It’s haunting, heartfelt and absolutely unforgettable. The title-track, meanwhile, hits like a statement of intent: soaring, defiant and drenched in emotion. It’s OM&M pushing themselves past their own limits, both musically and spiritually. When Infinite closes the album, it’s in a storm of catharsis that feels like both an ending and a rebirth.
Nine albums in, Of Mice & Men are still finding new ways to surprise. Another Miracle isn’t just their next evolution; it’s a reminder that they’re far from finished making them.
Verdict: 3/5
For Fans of: I Prevail, Bad Omens, Sleep Token
Another Miracle is released on November 14 via Century Media
