Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Of Mice & Men - Tether (2023)

Of Mice & Men continue to stand strong with their alt-metal/metalcore sound in their latest offering filled with many catchy and heavy tracks as always. Tether is actually the most atmospheric they've ever gone, almost as much as Silent Planet, but not enough to be considered post-metal or, more accurately, post-metalcore. Nonetheless, there's always room for emotional anthems.

Wow! As they continue to grow, they can still sound as wonderful as they had 10 years ago. The blend of heaviness and melody continues to shine, though they're going back to their more melodic side from the mid-2010s.

Starting track "Integration" has the usual metalcore heaviness while more melody-focused. The rhythm section kicks through alongside Aaron Pauley's clean singing in this strong standout. "Warpaint" unleashes their earlier metalcore rage with screams and blasts in the verses, in great contrast with the slower clean chorus. "Shiver" reigns on the calmness throne as Pauley's clean harmonies fit well with the synths, guitars, and bass. Brilliant!

Opening "Eternal Pessimist" is a synth buildup leading into an intense track with more of the screamed vocals and punishing instrumentation. The crushing riffing levels up the heaviness. "Into the Sun" is an awesome favorite of mine. Once again, the synth buildup into heavy drums is around, this time laying out a more melodic structure. Still there's as much heaviness as the hammer of Thor. Truly amazing! "Enraptured" has a lot to expect from their metalcore side; pure heaviness in the drumming and riffing, with both clean and screamed vocals. "Castaway" has more of all that, but the catchy melody and clean vocals take the spotlight.

The title track is another standout, despite its more stripped-down sound for the most part. Pauley's singing slowly ascends until the other members join in for the epic final chorus. "Indigo" is more ethereal while staying both melodic and heavy. The riffing and drumming add to the atmosphere led by Pauley's mesmerizing cleans. Closing track "Zephyros" has brilliant atmosphere. It is more of a jazzy synth-metal track that almost made me think of 2010s Leprous. A wonderous ending!

Tether is something different from what Of Mice & Men was before. The atmospheric soundscape allows you to feel the emotion much more. This astral experience is a new path for these modern metalcore titans, and we can only wonder what the band will do next. Quite promising!

Favorites: "Integration", "Shiver", "Into the Sun", "Tether", "Zephyros"