Artist: Future Palace
Album: Run
Release Date: June 10th 2022
Reviewer: Belinda Mann

German post-hardcore trio Future Palace return with their second album Run, released 9 June 2022. The excitement for it has only grown with each single release and I’m happy to say it does not disappoint! Furiously calming, Run talks to the aftermath of a toxic relationship and shows us a visually stunning and vulnerable way to look at one’s struggles.

Tracks Paradise and Dead Inside gets thing off to a banging start. Speaking about Paradise, vocalist Maria says, “For me the song is a motivating ray of light in the pandemic”. “It is written honestly, bitterly and full of self-hatred, and yet it conveys the message that one literally must not despair, no matter how stressful the current situation in life is.”

Dead Inside is about the aftershocks from a toxic relationship that not only left its mark in the past but also raises the question of how to deal with it after the fact. “The track deals with a sometimes tragic situation both – lyrically and instrumentally. It reflects inner turmoil, helplessness and anger at the same time” says guitarist Manuel. This song begs to be played live, capturing these feelings in music in one thing, being able to share and express them directly is another.

Flames is one of the trio’s most powerful and aggressive songs and is the standout track for me. Instrumentally and vocally, it varies with a mix of new styles. One minute you’re being driven along by thumping beats and furious vocals and then you’re calmed by a soothing melody and smooth vocals all adding to the feelings of looking back on a painful past.

Heads Up has a rhythmic head-banging bounce. It’s a track that will be profoundly relevant with many as it is song about depression, arising from the despairing imprints and feelings left on us from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sleep Tight is another highlight being that it’s a bit darker, colder and more melodic yet still hits an epic high with the chorus. Defeating Gravity is one of their most anthemic tracks, Maria’s vocals are phenomenal! An ardent display of melody and metal makes Roses and Wounds a notable pair of strong listens. 

A World in Tears is infectious and fresh with a bit of a different sound to other tracks. On this song, Future Palace confront the problems of the present, primarily climate change, which has been neglected for far too long and is a long-term concern globally wide. Vocalist Maria shares, “The lyrics represent the perspective of a person living in an almost completely ruined world in the near future. It is important for us to draw attention to the fact that one must act carefully here and now, and not tomorrow, before it’s too late.” While writing this track the band were influenced by electronic music and the retro-wave genre which is prevalent throughout the track with electronic pops and synths.

With banger after banger, the band sets painful processes to music in a dramatic post-hardcore soundtrack, reproducing the ups and downs of one’s own emotions. The entire album is a mix of soaring extravagance. For lovers of metal this is a must listen offering a change from the normal. You get a great sense of feelings from the album, specifically Maria’s stunning vocals. Maria didn’t event hint at her ability to scream on their last release, the heavier sound of this album is fire! Maria knows her vocal capability alright, and I love it!.

Run track listing:

Paradise
Dead Inside
Flames
Locked
Heads Up
Sleep Tight
Defeating Gravity
Roses
Wounds
A World of Tears
Loco Loco
Fever