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At what point does a triple single drop become an official EP remains a mystery to me. However, If we agree that one of the absolute highest points of 2021 was indeed a 3-track EP (of course I'm talking about ...And I Return To Notingness), then lets place Spiritbox' surprise drop Rotoscope in the same category, and see how it compares to their previous masterpiece and everything released so far this year.
Everyone already knows who Spiritbox are and how they became an overnight sensation with a series of back-to-back modern classics. If their self-titled debut (2017) and subsequent singles collection (2019) were a beta-version introduction to what is to come ahead, and Eternal Blue was the official launch of the emerging powerhouse, then Rotoscope is Spiritbox 2.0 - an improved new version that runs even smoother, has a sleeker design and fixes whatever small bugs there were in the previous editions.
Spiritbox did so well and so quick, raising the bar so high for themselves from the start, it is almost unfair how much we expect from them now. The biggest question after the sheer brilliance of Eternal Blue is what comes next, and while noone expected them to stay still within their box, Rotoscope is a clever and perfectly timed leap forward, flirting with wider mainstream appeal while maintaining that unique rawness we fell in love with.
The three tracks in Rotoscope are just the evolution I was hoping for, although coming even sooner that I expected. Spiritbox did not seem like the type of band to run their sound to the ground untill their inevitable irrelevance, and this is what separates the "greats" from the "good". Their latest EP is fresh and intriguing, wrapped in a veil of industrial tropes and cleverly playing with the nu metal and grunge influences that were teased last year.
From the first few seconds of the lead title single, you are thrown in a captivating melting pot of modern and classic vibes, and just as the more sceptical fans out there were ready to dismiss it for being too "poppy", Spiritbox unleashed their trademarked fury. The parallels with Garbage cannot be ignored, and Courtney has shared that Shirley Manson was indeed a huge inspiration for her, a lovely continuation in a long line of charismatic personalities, the former becoming an icon and influence to a whole new generation herself.
Then comes 'Saw Me Up', an alternative take on the jumpy nu metal energy of Korn and Limp Bizkit, backed with Mike Stringer's masterful nod to the mad riffage and pulsating progressions of the early 2000s. The final track 'Hysteria' is probably the most "classic" Spiritbox of the three and while fans are naturally loosing it over that thunderous breakdown, its highlights are easily its subtle nuances and layers of imagination that sum up everything that is so brilliant about this short but sweet Rotoscope EP.
I would have loved for this to be at least 2-3 tracks longer, or even leading towards a new album, but Spiritbox deserve their break, and having come out of the Eternal Blue promo cycle, and a seemingly endless touring ever since, this is more than we could ever ask for. Whether it remains a standalone 3-track drop or grows into a monstrous new album in 2023 remains to be seen, but for now, it is easily one of the peaks of 2022 and one to stay on repeat for a while. Surprising, smooth, catchy, modern, unparalleled, it is everything that could be expected from the established trademark that is Spiritbox.
Spiritbox - Rotoscope
Country: Canada
Released: 22 June 2022
Label: Rise Records
Tracklisting:
1. 'Rotoscope'
2. 'Saw Me Up'
3. 'Hysteria'
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