Righteous Malfunction is back, and with "Trace Failed," it is a focused descent into the controlled madness. Right from the top of the jagged riffing, it's an utter aural assault that takes you through a realm of music where thrash meets glitchy, dirty textures that dwell in a pretty dystopian place, all while fronted by female vocals that are in charge. This is a bold statement from a band that fearlessly continues to innovate the sound of alternative metal.
"Trace Failed" is the tightrope walk that performs between brutality and precision. The guitar work is pointed and serrated, sawing through stacked-up percussion that's part mechanical, part unpredictable. There's a kind of industrial glitchiness that weaves through the rhythm section, which gives the track a jarring, future-leaning edge. This collision of human aggression and technical chaos is the element that provides the song with a sense of being alive, a sense of fighting against your command even as it demands it.
The single's vocals are a dominating presence in the mix. It's raw, demanding, and unapologetically fierce as the delivery slashes through the sonic haze with intention. There's a narrative in every scream, in every shouted phrase, of resistance to some secret, dormant authority. The melodic inclination blended with sheer aggression is what propels "Trace Failed" beyond the standard material of a metalcore song, turning it into one whose quality endures.
Righteous Malfunction has never been afraid of the intensity, but here they perfect their art by funneling their dystopian rage into a focused and thrilling track. "Trace Failed," for that matter, feels both like a manifesto of a call to embrace chaos, to wrestle with limitations, and to flourish in the upheaval of the unknown. For those who love alternative metal, metalcore, or anyone who appreciates unapologetic music, "Trace Failed" leaves you exhilarated and a little unmoored in the best possible sense. With this release, Righteous Malfunction has proved once again that, in a world on the brink, their raucous sound is the perfect anthem for revolution.
Discover Righteous Malfunction on Instagram