Metalcore band Iravera recently dropped a heavy new single, “Feathers & Bones”, and a video to accompany it. Not only does the song carry a relatable message, but it also features a progression in the band’s sound from previous releases.
Iravera is from Salem, Ohio. The band members include: Nick Figley (clean vocals); Mikey Wrightson (extreme vocals); Shane Grim (guitar); and Alex Finch (bass). The four band members knew each other from the local music scene before teaming up to form Iravera.
“Feathers & Bones” was mixed and mastered by Kai Bass. He is new to the Iravera team. When the band heard his ability to make great mixes, they knew he was the guy for the job. The videographer was Zach Wallace. He has been a friend of the band for years and has shot other music videos for them in the past, as well as great videos for other bands. The band also wants to give credit to Andrew Laird. He has been a big help to Iravera since the band began, and is a brilliant editor and, as Nick Figley calls him, a "good soul". He has a channel called “Disco Face Studio” that puts out some hilarious content.
Like most Iravera songs, Shane Grim wrote “Feathers & Bones”. He tracks all of the band’s songs in-house. He and Kai Bass worked well together, which was important for a do-it-yourself band like Iravera. In addition to being an audio engineer, Kai Bass is the bassist in a melodic-hardcore/metalcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, called Wholeheart.
Following Iravera’s 2022 EP Retribution, “Feathers & Bones” is the first song to be released off the band’s upcoming full-length album, Encrypted. This song seems to be a change in direction in the band’s style. Along with Nick Figley’s remarkable range in his clean vocals, Mikey Wrightson’s extreme vocals are really prevalent. The song starts out slowly with the melodic singing of Figley, but then gets heavier and more intense. There is an interesting guitar riff featured in the bridge of the song as well as the outro. The end of the bridge is the same as the beginning of the song, then builds back up to the intense final chorus.
Nick Figley says, “We are most certainly evolving as a band, and our sound has evolved with us. The new sound comes from us wanting to try to come up with something more original. It took us a couple years to put this album together because we really wanted to step outside our comfort zone. Sometimes when you do that, you take a lot of risks. However, at the end of the day, if you can’t express yourself in new ways and test your abilities, how can you grow?”
When I listen to this song, it brings to mind a relatable theme of relationship issues and struggles with depression and addiction. Figley confirms this idea. “The inspiration for this song is a bit of all of the above. A broken heart tends to drive different people in different directions. Sometimes we battle these situations with substances or anger. At times we hold on to love for someone who has moved on, causing confusion. Sometimes we drink and party because we think it’s what will fill the void of an empty heart, but most of the time it only makes matters worse. This song is about whether or not you want to face the problem or run from it.”
Figley came up with the concept for the music video. It represents that someone can be surrounded by lots of people, such as at a party, but still feel all alone at a time when they need people the most. The video alternates from individual band members standing in front of a mirror drinking from a bottle of whiskey, to the band playing at a crowded party.
The target release date of the Encrypted album is March 24th. Iravera is currently booking a run of shows in support of the album. The goal is to play a show in each city in Ohio each month in the spring and summer. They will end the run of shows with their yearly festival in Salem, Ohio at The Flying Pig. The band hosts this festival every year and finds up and coming unsigned bands to put in front of an audience of about 400 people. Bands this year include We That Live (a band Nick Figley’s cousin, Josh Figley, is in), Dragonfly Effect, and Victoria Fire. Other bands slated to play in the festival are The Figs, which includes Nick Figley’s brother, Neil, and father, Sparo, and I Ascend, which is a band Iravera guitar player Shane Grim plays in along with his brother, Logan Grim.
<Annie Schlottman>