EP REVIEW: Fixation - Speak in Tongues

Norway’s Fixation return with an eight song EP, the first since 2023’s full length More Subtle Than Death, and it’s a strange beast. 

Of the eight tracks on offer, four are more like interludes or intros to the four songs proper. These interludes are all atmospheric, synth heavy with very processed, whispered vocals that blend into the subsequent tracks nicely. The vocals of Jonas Hansen are strong with a great range, but they seem to have decided to auto tune them for the start and chorus of the title track, and this is repeated over the rest of the EP, feels a bit unnecessary, but it doesn’t detract from the backing music too much. The guitars of Martin Stenstad Selen and Tobias Østerdal are at times brutally heavy, but at other times acoustically beautiful and the synth backing really complements them. The rhythm section of bassist Martin Gravdal and drummer Ola Dønnem is solid and sensitively played, adding to the song rather than overwhelming the other instruments. 

The standout track for me is Fever Dream, an eclectic piece comprising softer acoustic parts and heavy riff fests, with a couple of spoken word preacher’s parts interspersed between the vocals; this is a bit of a stunner. As the band are supposedly a metalcore act, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of breakdowns and screamo vocals in evidence, all in all its a very cohesive set of tunes, and if they play near me, I will go and see them.

Speak in Tongues is released on 11th October via Indie Recordings

Review by Andrew Matthews

Band photo: Sebastian Ludvigsen