Newly formed metal band Rhythm of Descent released their first single, “Reclaim,” on Friday, September 22nd.

Words By Winter Cameron / Graphic by Maxine Moses

“We stand and we reclaim!” 

This is the passionate opening line of the recently released single, “Reclaim,” from local metal band Rhythm of Descent, and the passion can be heard throughout the entirety of the song. 

Rhythm of Descent is a newly formed 5-piece metal band, with their earliest videos being practice recordings released in March and April 2023. This single was played in one of the earlier videos and it is great to hear the final product. The early observable growth of the new metal band is phenomenal. 

Being a newer band, one might believe that their sound would be undefined and experimental, however, this is not the case with Rhythm of Descent. “Reclaim” is a solid debut single, with the sound being a unique combination of the guitar and drumming techniques of metalcore. The vocals differ with the genre and are similar to the stylistic choices that Corey Taylor of Slipknot makes, being very gritty and aggressive. Both the nu-metal and metalcore influences make this an easily accessible song for those just getting into metal. 

With the vocals, there’s an alternation between clean and harsh vocals (common in both nu-metal and metalcore). The harsh vocals are not too abrasive and the clean vocals still have a raw, heavy growl to them. But, even seasoned metalheads can really enjoy this band due to the metalcore influences. In metalcore, distinct riffs and solos are very important and listeners will find that “Reclaim” does not rob them of that pleasure. The riffs are very distinct, crunchy, and deep – perfect for the average metalhead – and the solo near the end of the song brings the aggression of the song to a climax. 

The highlight of “Reclaim” is its songwriting. The lyrics are filled with poetic messages of rebellion, representing everything metal stands for. Resilience is the embodiment of the single, with lines like: “Expose it/Control it/We have a mind take and overthrow it”. These lyrics mixed with the raw vocals express the power behind the song and transform it into an anthem of defiance. 

“Reclaim” stands out as the right way for a new metal band to announce their arrival. As far as debut singles go, Rhythm of Descent couldn’t have done a much better job introducing themselves.