In Spite Of Me – Blightflower
In Spite Of Me – Blightflower
Self-Released
Release Date: 17/10/2025
Review by Beth Morait
10/10
I’ve always been an empath, drawn to the plight of others, absorbing their emotions, and feeling every one of them, often to my detriment. It’s a blessing and a curse, especially when you don’t realise it until later in life, once you’ve already put yourself through enough trauma to float an armada because of your burning need to help others. But the one thing it’s given me is a deep connection to people’s stories, and a sense of deep joy when people are able to pull themselves out of the deepest chasms using their inner strength and powers of self-reflection. And when a band comes along and openly admits their struggles and battles through the medium of music, I find it immensely uplifting.
And that is exactly what USA solo Metalcore project In Spite Of Me has done with their debut album “Blightflower”. Tackling the distressing world of trauma-fueled addiction, and finding a path to redemption in their own life, “Blightflower” provides a stark, honest, and sometimes harrowing musical journey that, sadly, so many of us can relate to, whether that be as a former addict, or as the family and loved ones surrounding a person struggling with addiction. It’s the cruellest of diseases, and no-one is safe from it.
Instantly, the album sets the scene with opening track ‘If Grace Still Speaks’. Musically, it’s solid Modern Metalcore, with a mix of clean and screamo vocals. Considering this is a solo project, the instrumentation here is superb – very technically edged, fast paced, and with great us of atmospherics. But the true genius from the get go is within the lyrics. The first verse speaks to clearly and profoundly, poetically, about the feelings intwined with web of deceit that addiction causes, driven by the demons within:
“My voice chokes me when I speak
Shame built the kingdom
Where I used to worship
Twisting the knife and calling it mercy
Drinking in the poison and calling it truth
Now I sleep in a grave I dug smiling
And dream of my longing for you
Don’t call this living, it’s penance without end”
This is followed by ‘Thirst’, which is a cacophony of off-beat, crazy-paced noise, inspired by the madness of the lust for the next hit, but progressing into that moment of clarity. That ‘what the fuck am I doing? I have to change this moment that all addicts experience. From this point, the song becomes less disjointed… until the final passage – the relapse. It’s heart-wrenchingly sad.
But nowhere near as sad as track 3, ‘A Father’s Prayer’, which is the screaming turmoil of a father who’s feeling disgusting for allowing the demons to inhabit him, and inflicting the outcome on his children, stealing their innocence. Again, it’s a mix of ferocious technical Metalcore, littered with blast beats, juxtaposed with slower, quieter, and more tender sections. It is truly emotionally devastating, especially the line ‘I pray that I will be enough’…
‘Self Immolation’ begins with a passage of vocals so clean and angelic that I still can’t decide if they’re performed by the same vocalist, even though I logically know they are! In terms of musical talent, this vocal range is impressive, and speaks of someone whose spent a long time mastering their craft. In terms of the theme, it shows the battle between the light and dark of the psyche within. Brilliant, once again, musically and lyrically.
I didn’t set out to write a track by track review here, but every single track is so thoughtful, so honest, and so masterfully handled that I can’t not talk about each of them. ‘Garden of Rot’ explores the trauma that led to the addiction in the first place, and my god the lyrics! The symbolism within them, and the turn of phrase that leaves horrors unwritten but clear as the light of day. It’s an absolutely distressing and disturbing genius. Fuck. My whole being is hurting with In Spite Of Me’s pain. But it also holds the inner determination of not wanting to continue the cycle of abuse. And I’m sat here like “YES MAN! YOU DON’T HAVE TO!! YOU ARE SO STRONG, YOU’VE GOT THIS!!”
‘The Devils Are Here’ is a brutally honest view of organised religion, and the desolation that realising the darker side of it brings. It’s a lament for those who’ve lost faith… In religion, the world, and themselves. Musically another brutally punishing track, with moments of clarity like fever dreams.
‘Ember Tide’ brings this emotionally devastating album to a close, again mixing the ethereal cleans, and tortured screams from within the pit of in Spite Of Me’s soul.
This album is musically brilliant – varied and exploratory, showing a deep understanding of both the technical side of playing Metalcore, and an understanding that sound doesn’t need to be ringfenced. But the real star here is the lyrical, poetic abilities In Spite Of Me has to convey a story in a way that’s crushingly devastating. Album of the year material right here.
TRACKLISTING:
01. If Grace Still Speaks
02. Thirst
03. A Father’s Prayer
04. Self Immolation
05. Garden Of Rot
06. The Devils Are Here
07. Ember Tide
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
