If you had asked me yesterday what my favorite drum & bass release of the year was, I’d tell you either Netsky’s 3 or Noisia’s Outer Edges. Today, I’m not so sure.
What’s changed?
Metrik just released Life/Thrills on Hospital Records.
After he released his debut album, Universal Language, two years ago, Metrik quickly became one of DnB’s star producers – though it would be irresponsible to say that his stardom started at that moment. After its release, he did the normal touring in support of it, but he’s album been hard at work on his sophomore album Life/Thrills. This album, too, spans 15 tracks across all styles of DnB and bass music, with featured vocalists like Ragga Twins, Romeo Testa, and the inimitable Reija Lee. Rothwell is a particularly surprising standout. I hadn’t heard of her before this, but you can bet I’m going to be paying attention now.
A combination of lush and rich melodies, along with some of the finest vocalists in the game make this album one of the finest releases of the year by a large margin.
There’s a certain point in drum & bass when the bassline and drums are just so, that it’s almost overbearing. It’s as if the music is screaming at you, “Look at me! I’m drum & bass!” Metrik manages to coax that tendency into a more subdued state, and instead of feeling like I’m being screamed it, it’s more akin to a serenade.
Life/Thrills is the perfect follow up to Universal Language, beyond showing Metrik’s evolution as an artist and as an album in its own right. Listen below!