Part of the charm Spiritbox holds is in its continued roots, its fundamentals in former metalcore bands and the thrill. There is a charm, if a little silliness, in the preceding band, Iwrestledabearonce, and from there is the attitude and style of writing the band has continued with. Tsunami Sea brings on a sophomore experience, and Spiritbox has taken their time getting there. Rightly so. A debut flourish is a flash in the pan these days, and nailing the second, and even third album is expected. The times have changed. They departed from Iwrestledabearonce to give themselves to better music and explore their creative options. Tsunami Sea is true to that meaning, that desire. Spiritbox, fundamentally, has succeeded because they aimed to express with free scope for their message.
Nothing quite wakes you up like the hopes and promise of metalcore work, and where the heavier tones of Tsunami Sea may be appreciated, they are not the most innovative. Throw your head up and down to opener Fata Morgana, but there is not much more to it than that. But does there need to be? Not necessarily. Spiritbox focuses on the harsher tone and in that heaviness, they lose the compassion which is trying to break out in those softer moments. There is a phenomenal energy and spirit worth hearing through Tsunami Sea. The triple bill of Fata Morgana, Black Rainbow and Perfect Soul is a welcome first experience with Spiritbox, but they do leave much to be desired with their meaning, with their interpretation of the world. Loud and volatile works gets them so far, but not far enough into those wilder, darker parts of Tsunami Sea. None of it stands out because it devolves into the screaming fits, the heavy tone only reached when throwing caution to the wind.
It makes sense, but it becomes a repetitive pocket of joyless, plain-sailing music. Soft Spine is no different to the screams heard before or after. A failure to differentiate is the killer for Tsunami Sea. Mid-2000s wrestling video game music. Great fun as a passive occasion, but when lingering on the screaming menace, the intensity which should come from these moments of impassioned fury, Spiritbox falls short. When the band does bring down the instrumental volume, the burning and raw shouting, as they do on their title track, they show there is little depth. Tears here, the well of emotional turmoil is not just the destination but the purpose. Still, a lack of emotional persuasion is made up for with some percussion thrills, that much is a joy to listen to. Heavy set, but a welcome focus on most of the songs.
A lot of sea-faring troubles for Spiritbox are heard throughout Tsunami Sea. It is relatively tame as far as metal music goes, with the percussion spirit the definite highlight, the one consistency. Lyrically speaking, the band has little to offer, aside from a few brief, bright sparks. Moments of interest come not in blasts but in subtle, softer suggestions. The might of A Haven with Two Faces, for instance, is in its clarity and eventual build to those metalcore, industrial inevitabilities. Starting with it does little more than make the heart beat faster. Tsunami Sea gets lost in the wet, submerged in the obvious draws of the metal genre, but somehow Spiritbox has become the accessible modern point. They could do better than this, but the safety gloves on approach to Tsunami Sea sometimes reveals a wonderful momentum, as it does on a song like No Loss, No Love. Stick to those, and the album becomes an exciting piece.
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