Fire From the Sky

Fire From the Sky is the seventh album, drawing dark, aggressive metal with sharp thrash riffs, heavy breaks and raw vocals. Released on Razor & Tie in May 2012. Adam Dutkiewicz, who handled the debut, produced for the first time since, and recording took place at Zing Studios — the same studio as the debut — in late 2011. Brian Virtue mixed. That back-to-the-source setup shows clearly in the record's texture. Even in fast songs the riffs never lose weight, and the rhythm section creates the feel of stamping through the ground. Melodic guitar leads mix in, so the material isn't merely rough but carries shadow. The chaos surrounding the 2012 Mayan-calendar apocalypse theory is the lyrical subject, and the opener “The Unknown,” the title track and “Divide and Conquer” lead the record. Jason Bittner's drumming is busier than on past albums, and Jonathan Donais's lead guitar shines. It reached No. 38 on the Billboard 200. This ended up being the band's final studio album — a powerful record combining aggression and construction.