Coldrain
OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE
Century Media Records
Despite having a name presented in lowercase, there’s nothing unassuming about Japanese metalcore quintet coldrain. For almost two decades this Nagoya crew have been colouring the world with a genre fluid sound that truly knows no boundaries. It’s an approach that has given the band an exorbitant amount of freedom and they put it to good use on latest album OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE. Underpinning their metal rage with an almost pop sensibility ensures their songs swing in the most violent way, meaning no matter how heavy things get there’s a groove to give tracks like ‘DIGITOLL’ an adhesive, earworm quality. The flow between different styles finds hardcore nestling next to nu metal and pop punk sandwiched betwixt hard rock and screamo, the constant flux being cohesive and smooth. A warning against the Orwellian AI nightmare towards which we are hurtling, coldrain have delivered a concept album that is a sequel to their 2025 EP OPTIMIZE. From the blast of opening cut ‘OPTIMIZE’ to frenetic closer ‘SAVIOR’, the songs are interconnected and unleashed with a human quality that stands in marked contrast to our technological age and finds coldrain fine-tuning their sound to deliver an album that stands as a career best.
https://www.facebook.com/coldrainofficial
Review by Peter Dennis.