Another Miracle
After a series of singles that kept us strung along since the beginning of this year, Of Mice & Men has finally given us what we have been waiting for. On their ninth album and first under Century Media, who they recently signed with, the Americana metalcore giants have notably “raised the bar on the melodic side” while “doubling down on the heaviness all over”. The result is something with catchy grooves, trackable melodies, and a tangible weight.
Following a poorly-received Tether (2023), Another Miracle is a welcome dose of focus. The record starts heavy and big with A Waltz, with a wonderful build and layers of whispering and screaming. Troubled Water keeps the energy high with some welcome deep chugging and throaty shouts. I quite like the lyricism on both of these songs. They might not be remarkable, but they are certainly not bothersome. Track three, Safe & Sound is considerably lighter but simultaneously sadder. The chorus has an undeniably “I hope the stars all sing your name” hook that I could listen to over and over again. The track that follows, Hourglass, is among my favorites on the record. High energy, angry, and heavy, Hourglass scratches the itch in my brain that many of the other songs do not. The lyricism on “Time will bury us; Time will pull us underneath it” is admittedly delicious, and it keeps bringing me back to the song. However, the record's highlight is by far the title track. Another Miracle is feisty and philosophical in all of the right ways. Between a catchy chorus, addictive bridge, and that lush heaviness, the band succeeded on this track.
However, despite the multiple note-worthy highlights on the record and overall pleasant listening experience, Another Miracle is not without its pitfalls. As the album progresses, songs like Wake Up, with both weak production and writing, unfortunately fall entirely flat. Call me crazy, but “A diamond moon on crystal waves; lights explode and fill the space; Outside of time the soul escapes” doesn’t move me in any capacity. Especially not when it feels like I’m being informed of the morning and forcibly and prematurely shaken from my slumber: “Wake up! You’ve been dreaming for so long. Daylight has come; A chance to be here now; Wake up!”. The follow-up track, Flowers, is an improvement in terms of production, but arguably a step-down in terms of storytelling: “The water makes the garden grow; When the storm buried in your blood starts to rain on everything you touch; When it only ever grows and it never goes away; I hope you feel the flowers.” I mean, what? The track had instrumental potential, but the shallow (and frankly, cringe) writing is distracting entirely.
Overall, writing about being the “ghost of what I was” and “vultures circling” just isn’t going to cut it for a metalcore record anymore. Of Mice & Men will have to push themselves to do better than that. I would also agree with many fans and critics that Pauley’s voice feels as though it is in competition with the instrumentals at times, especially on songs like Flowers. For the majority, it sounds as though he is just barely fighting to stay above the surface of sound and, occasionally, drowned out entirely.
After growing up on Of Mice & Men’s early albums, it is impossible not to grieve Austin Carlile’s absence. Aaron Pauley is talented by all means, but his throaty growls don’t quite compare to Carlile’s, who was considered to be the “unclean” vocalist between the two and added a grittier dimension to the band’s early work that it now lacks. Another Miracle is by all means a decent record. But I cannot help but feel as though, one record at a time, the band’s work increasingly lacks layers. Another Miracle makes me doubt that Of Mice & Men will ever recreate the highs they reached in the golden age of the self-titled album, Restoring Force (You Make Me Sick is a legendary track), and Defy.
All of the above leaves us with a decently listenable record, but not a particularly memorable one. Another Miracle is good. But it doesn’t stand out among the rest Of Mice & Men’s work - and certainly not amongst the best of metalcore.
