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This year has been a wild ride so far, and my surprising second journey takes me to the unknown lands of Mexico City, the city of palaces, sun, and apparently some kickass modern metalcore. Mexico might not be our standard go-to destination for modern heavy music, but I am virtually there to have a chat with Albano, the lead singer of the rising band Afterglow who are on steady course to change that. The guys describe themselves as a mix between metalcore, djent and progressive metal, and the singles they have released so far are beyond impressive, laying the foundation of a stellar future with just a few right steps remaining until they hopefully blow up big.
Afterglow are four regular mexican guys with shared vision of what modern metal music could and should sound like, adding "powerful messages that leave people thinking and also support those that suffer from depression". Vocallist Albano and guitarist Erik formed the band back in 2016 as a side project, while playing in another band, but quickly realised that Afterglow gave them the creative freedom to be their true selves. Recruiting drummer Aruh and bassist Mariano marked the beginning of the band, with their first studio single 'Connected' from 2019 starting the wave about to crush us really soon.
In the last few years, Afterglow have released five standalone singles from 2019 that eventually shaped their debut self-titled EP, followed by another five in 2020 including their most popular djenty bangers 'Ephemeral' and 'Black Hole'. In 2021, the guys pushed themselves to the next level, adding three more killer tracks ending on a high note with 'Collapse' featuring no other but Kingdom of Giants' Johnny Reeves himself. Cue in 2022 and out of nowhere, Afterglow dropped 'Like A Wave', an epic, thunderous metalcore masterpiece that is easily one of the best songs of the year so far.
The first time I heard Afterglow was on 'Like a Wave' and I immediatly thought of SharpTone Records, imagining how beautifuly these guys will fit in their stellar roster alongside modern metal visionaries like Currents, Kingdom of Giants, Pridelands, Polaris, Loathe, etc. When I asked them about their influences, Albano mentioned metalcore powerhouses Architects and BMTH, as well as djenty heroes Erra and Northlane, and proggy flagmen Periphery, TessaracT and Karnivool, or in other words, a hefty concoction of that British drive, Aussie energy and American polish that has been defining the genre for decades. Add in a healthy affinity for other styles and musical traditions, and you are left with an original sound that is easily definable whilst maintaining its unpredictability and excitement.
Less than a month ago Afterglow followed with another great single 'Worn Out', and when you add these two to their previous work, things are starting to shape into a debut record that is certain to make waves across the world. Their own bio describes them perfectly as a band "with down-tuned grooves, catchy choruses, and dreamy atmospheres [existing] to cheer you up and make you feel connected and relieved that you are not alone in this journey". It really has been a while since I was this excited about a rising band and I honestly cannot wait to hear the LP that promises "more intensity, more darkness, more layers, and a different, unique sound, outside of the traditional boundaries of metalcore."
Afterglow has been an exemplary DIY metal banger factory since their inception, with individual skills and experience making it possible to handle all recording, production, mixing and mastering in-house in their own local studio Dark House Audio. In their own words, they had "the fortune to be surrounded by amazing creatives, especially in regard to visual matters" and as any other rising independent band, they have had to really optimise the budget and human resources involved to make it all happen. Where they go from here remains to be seen, but imagine the absolute beast that would become of Afterglow with a powerful label behind their backs that gives them the creative freedom they need to grow further and get the worldwide support they so deserve.
Like many other new bands making their first steps around the 2019, their excitement was cut short by the pandemic and subsequent chaos of the last few years. Although becoming a boring cliche of an origin story, you cannot ignore the immense impact COVID-19 had on the entire industry, but here we are with Afterglow who actually see the silver lining in all of that mess: "We believe the fact that the entire music industry was facing extreme challenges during the first months of the pandemic leveled the playing field for smaller acts, as many of the bigger bands put a halt to their release and tour schedule, which freed up attention for lesser known bands."
Moreover, you cannot deny the huge role social media is currently having for breaking up new band, and although Afterglow embrace the "myriad of possibilities, waiting to be discovered, the constant seeking for user attention has reached unprecedented levels, the demanding environment is getting more challenging to navigate". Considering the mad state of the world right now, Afterglow are onto something here and this goes back to their core focus on connection, relationships and communication. At first, that "You are not alone in the journey" slogan might seem like an empty statement, but when you listen to their music and delve deeper into their beliefs as people, Afterglow present a powerful message that cannot be ignored and fully aligns with where I put my priorities too:
"We think there should be a lot of changes to make the world a better place. First of all, we should recover our freedom of speech, our freedom of travel, our freedom of gathering, and our critical thinking. We could totally do away with ideological, religious, and racial tensions, as they contribute absolutely nothing to our society, except for dividing us even more and making us much easier to manipulate and control. Also, we should work more on our physical and mental health, as well as on the health of our interpersonal relationships. Fostering empathy and honesty over the egocentric mindset of our current society is a must for the human race to prosper."
I cannot pretend like I am familiar with the local scene in Mexico, but if Afterglow are any indication, I ought to do my research. The guys assured me there is plenty of "amazing talent" in the country, but as most areas outside of the few powerful hubs of modern metal music across the world, there are significant obstacles. One one hand, the entire scene is still recovering from the aftermath of the pandemic, lockdowns and restrictions, and on the other, heavy music seems to be having "very little relevance in mainstream media" there, with limited outlets for rising bands hindering their deserved rise to fame.
All we can do is listen and support these great local talents, whether it's next door or on the other side of the world, as you don't know where the next Afterglow will pop up from! Seriously, if you haven't been convinced yet, go and give them a listen and stay tuned for more. Afterglow are preparing to release a new video for 'Worn Out', followed by more new music all leading to the promised debut record by the end of the year. Naturally, the guys cannot wait to go back to live concerts and I really look forward to catching them somewhere, hopefully soon.
I asked them about who they want would like to go on tour with and they listed Currents, Silent Planet, Invent Animate and Kingdom of Giants, and this honestly sounds like a dream line-up. Oh, and they keep mentioning German newcomers Chaosbay, and you should really go and check their latest 2222. But going back to the topic, I am extremely happy to have stumbled across Afterglow earlier this year and am really lookingforward to that debut record. There have been some truly amazing releases already this year, and some heavyhitters are yet to drop their albums, but judging by what Afterglow have been cooking so far, their effort might just be one of the highest points of 2022!
Follow Afterglow on the links below:
Find their music on our playlists:
Thank you, Afterglow, for taking the time and supporting me on my journey, and best of luck with your future releases!
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