For more than 20 years, Age of Ruin has been a stronghold of intensity, a band that smashes expectations as easily as they do riffs. The veteran metal outfit flexes more muscle with the latest single, "Lovesong," adding another layer of melody, emotion, and blunt force that is at once distinctive.
The song is built on the tension of the Mixolydian mode, which couldn't be a more perfect musical metaphor for that tenuous waltz between grief and happiness. It's a bold choice for the band, and it totally works. "Lovesong" feels both tender and unrolling, a bittersweet anthem that aches while it lifts.
Another layer of depth is added by guest vocalist Caitlin Schneiderman, whose voice interacts with and drives the song emotionally into new territories. Her appearance adds a thrilling counterpoint to the band's trademark heaviness, a fleeting, real moment amid the storm.
This isn't the Lightning Age of Ruin, it's honing their blade. The guitars burn, the rhythm section hits like a freight train, but beneath the chaos rages something powerfully human. "Lovesong" is a reminder that heaviness isn't always about volume, it's also about heart.