Philadelphia's VARIALS — Skyler Conder, vocals; Shane Lyons, guitar; Mike Foley, bass; Sean Rauchut, drums — have erected a massive, impenetrable, and intimidating wall of sound with "I'll Find the Dark," their first new song since 2022.
Watch the video below.
It's also the first track to feature formidable new frontman Conder, who shares that the song is about "ending it all abruptly."
Squalling feedback, deathcore growls that sound as though they originated in the deepest recesses of hell, and violent, and riffs that sound like detonations are the hallmarks of "I'll Find the Dark." It's heavier than a slab of granite and a welcome return for a revamped and revitalized Varials.
"'I'll Find the Dark' lyrically tries to captivate the overall theme of being consumed by pain throughout existence," says Conder. "The idea was for the instruments to be just as aggressive as the vocals and lyrics of the song itself. The track tries to express the emotional distress of feeling lost within yourself, being terrified of existence and living, as well as trying to overcome some sense of grief and heartache."
Shane Lyon furthers, "The idea was to build a wall of sound that suffocates the listener."
Suffocation has never sounded so good.
This is just the opening salvo from the new and improved VARIALS. More music is on the way. And it's going to be just as vicious.
VARIALS will embark on a tour of Australia with Spite.
ABOUT VARIALS:
Philadelphia's Varials seamlessly alternate between moments of crushing power and melodic poise, unlocking harmony in the middle of opposite poles. So much so that Decibel once raved that "Varials have their own modern spin on hybridizing metal and hardcore into a powerful new amalgam." The band — newly comprised of Skyler Conder (vocals); Shane Lyons (guitar); Mike Foley (bass); and Sean Rauchut (drums) — consistently sharpen their signature style with searing intensity, uncontainable energy, and incredible creativity. Varials began to build their fanbase with Pain Again [2017] and In Darkness [2019]. The latter yielded "Romance," which amassed 21 million streams and counting. Varials next delivered a dose of controlled chaos like with their third full-length, 2022's Scars For You To Remember. Over the course of Varials' career thus far, the band has hit the road with the likes of Wage War, Kublai Khan, and more, holding its own with some of the genre's heaviest hitters and earning its right to be named among the best. Varials' upcoming fourth full-length looks to be the band's most brutal effort yet.