Fit for a King - No Tomorrow

Continuing our theme this week of downbeat but ultimately uplifting tracks about the world falling apart, we’re shifting focus to a more modern take with a very recent release. This pick also keeps in line with what’s quickly becoming a series here ... “Bands that blew Cooper away at Rockstadt Extreme Fest” .. just in case you're keeping score.

Fit for a King are a metalcore outfit hailing from Texas, and over the past near two decades they’ve carved out a reputation as one of the most dependable and evolving acts in the genre. Their story is a familiar one for metalcore bands from the same era, come storming out of the gate heavy, aggressive, and raw, and over time the rough edges get smoothed out and through experimentation the sound gradually becomes something unique.  That's not to say bands that do this lose their edge, the good ones simply find their feet.

One aspect that sets them apart, though, is their openness about their Christian faith. There's a lot of "Christian" metal acts in the metalcore genre that distance themselves from that label, lest that conjure up images of preachy, sermon-like lyrics and *shivers* out of tune acoustic guitar.  Fit for a King avoid that pitfall entirely. Instead of hammering listeners with doctrine, they draw on universal themes rooted in their faith, such as forgiveness, redemption, perseverance in the face of despair. It’s handled with enough subtlety and nuance that you might not even realise you’re listening to a Christian band at all (until I researched them a bit for this article, I did not, and I own two of their albums).  In fact, their approach has caused friction from both sides as they’ve faced protests from certain Christian groups calling their music "Devil music", and at the same time, that label has reportedly cost them opportunities. Whatever your stance on faith, there’s something admirable about a band with conviction and a message. It takes real skill to weave that into heavy music without alienating your audience, and Fit for a King manage it with authenticity.

The band shows no signs of slowing down either. Their latest album, Lonely God, sees the band continuing to experiment with their sound (is .. is that a little djent I hear in there?). It’s a record that feels both modern and timeless—familiar enough for long-time fans of the genre but adventurous enough to keep things fresh.  Our pick this week is "No Tomorrow", the second single from that album and is guaranteed to have you humming the infectious chorus for at least the next two days.  Enjoy!