Memphis May Fire’s latest album Shapeshifter won’t reignite metalcore’s glory days, but it’s not the disaster critics might expect

Words by Felix Bartlett | March 26, 2025

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Two decades into a career spent weathering metalcore’s shifting tides, Memphis May Fire remain stubbornly committed to their formula. Their eighth album, Shapeshifter, won’t convert sceptics who dismissed them as relics years ago—but for those still invested in chugging riffs and anguished choruses, it delivers just enough evolution to justify its existence.

The album’s strongest moments come early. Opener ‘Chaotic’ is a minor revelation, blending danceable electronics with Jake Garland’s punchy drums and Matty Mullins’ trademark balance of melody and grit. It’s the kind of track that could slip onto a modern rock playlist without raising eyebrows, proving the band can still craft hooks when they want to. ‘Infection’ leans further into synth-laced atmospherics, while ‘Overdose’ tempers its aggression with a soaring, radio-ready chorus—a reminder that Memphis May Fire once bridged the gap between Warped Tour and mainstream rock.

Yet for every step forward, Shapeshifter takes two back into tired tropes. Tracks like ‘Hell Is Empty’ and ‘Necessary Evil’ recycle breakdowns and lyrical clichés with a workmanlike indifference, as if the band is ticking boxes rather than pushing boundaries. Even the title track, despite its death-metal growls and frenetic energy, feels like a hollow attempt to recapture the fury of their early work.

The album’s saving grace is its production polish. Kellen McGregor’s guitar tones bite harder than on 2022’s Remade in Misery, and the electronic flourishes—though hardly innovative—add texture to otherwise predictable arrangements. Closer ‘Love Is War’ ends things on a high note, stacking thrashy riffs and Mullins’ impassioned screams into a finale that almost justifies the preceding filler.

Shapeshifter won’t reignite metalcore’s glory days, but it’s not the disaster critics might expect. Instead, it’s the sound of a band clinging to relevance by their fingertips—flawed, dated, but occasionally thrilling in spite of itself. For diehards, that’s enough. For everyone else, there’s always ‘Chaotic’ on repeat.

Verdict: 💀💀💀

For fans of: The Devil Wears Prada, Wage War, We Came As Romans

Shapeshifter is released on 28th March on Rise Records.