Follow Me Dark releases new abum

Since rising from the forested hills of Grass Valley, California in 2019, Follow Me Dark have been on a thrilling path through the alternative rock and metal sphere. Formed by vocalist and guitarist Stephen Kozak, guitarist Sean Delphi, bassist Elliott Grove and Jim Boots on drums, the band quickly distinguished themselves with a sound that shifts between melody and mayhem, delicacy and destruction. Earning deserved comparisons to the likes of Deftones, Nirvana and Mogwai, their music drags listeners through the depths and back and keeps them coming back for more.

Quick to unveil their sound, they released their debut single “As She Feeds” the year they formed, which they’ve followed up with several releases across singles, an EP and full-length records. Each release presented a sense of emotional cartography, plotting a journey through anxiety, desire and hope, delivered via a sound that swings from explosive, riff-driven aggression to moments of textural beauty, never resting for long in one place.

Now the band returns with Far From Any Shore, their second full-length record and it’s perhaps their most significant step forward yet. Produced by Chris Tabarez, who’s previously worked with the likes of Boz Scaggs and Vampire Weekend, the album is structured as a concept record based in the Hero’s Journey, drawing inspiration from Joseph Campbell’s famed mythological arc.

Written and recorded in a repurposed summer cabin deep in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Far From Any Shore leans into a primal sonic styling, eschewing the shine of modern production techniques to capture the band in the moment.

Kicked off with “The Spark,” the album starts with the sway of clean guitar strums as delicate vocals drift in to form a gentle grunge-tinged atmosphere. Building with the roll of drums and crunch of distorted guitars, the energy gathers a hurried pace as the arrangement expands into a grooving rock scene that flows with commanding vocal performance and the surge of twanging lead guitar lines.

“Hounds of Heaven” follows with immediate energy, pairing the splash of drums with dusty bass lines and wailing lead guitar before jumping into a chugging riff-driven affair capped by punchy vocals. Progressing through an engrossing rock soundscape full of energising rhythms and belted vocal work, it’s an epic outing that sees the band bottle pure rock lightning.

With “Aurora,” the band lulls listeners with a tender intro which then erupts with a moment of charging guitars and striking drums as Stephen’s impassioned voice rings out above, offering a truly anthemic listening experience from start to finish. Other highlights like “Acid Desert” carry a melancholic nostalgia reminiscent of 90s alternative rock ballads, pairing sadness with a glimmer of hope wrapped in an enveloping arrangement of steady rhythmic patter and dramatic ebb and flow.

“Medusa” brings a soulful groove allowing Stephen and Vanessa Boots to engage in a smokey duet draped in a hazy sonic fabric. “Godhead” veers into a near-spiritual sphere, its new age leanings bolstered by the haunting vocals of Karnamrita Dasi and a flamenco-flavoured guitar from Miguel Padilla, showcasing the versatility of Follow Me Dark’s sound.

“Daffodils” presents slow-burning and reflective post rock soundscape stitched with elegant melodic writing and smooth backing vocalisations. Closing the album the title track “Far From Any Shore” wraps things up with cinematic flair, casting a theatrical rock sound that puts the band’s incredible performance panache on full display. To confront the chaos, the pain and the beauty of our inner worlds, to let go of certainty and step into the dark, Follow Me Dark delivers a new record that’s entirely worth the journey.

Listen to Far From Any Shore below