The Narrator is set to release their follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut “Lore” on the 8th of May. It is a brutal masterpiece spanning 10 tracks, leaving you begging for more.
Metalcore is an expansive genre and few seem to be as adept at it as these guys, their debut was brilliant and for “Phosphor” they have taken it up a notch in all ways. The album opens with the title track “Phosphor”, a statement of intent if ever there was, a blistering drum beat drives the track alongside some monster riffs and thumping bass, the vocals from Jochum are next level as he roars his way through the track, one hell of a track. Taking the baton and running is “Aurora”; coming in heavy before breaking down with an atmospheric feel, everything seems a little subdued with the exception of the vocals but when it goes off it does big time, Dehn’s drum beat is insane while Hoppelshauser and Jan trade crunching riffs like nobody’s business with Hoppe’s bass rumbling nicely in the background, the contrast between the manic verse’ and melodic chorus’ is brilliant giving the track an extra lift.
“Modern Age Blasphemy” bludgeons you into submission as it goes much heavier and more aggressive, keeping the intensity high throughout, only changing at the chorus’ to a more mellow sound, this is an absolute banger of a track and one of the best on the album. “Stasis” features Avralize’s Severin Sailer, who brings his savage brand of vocals that play off nicely with Jochum’s. Musically, this hits like a sledgehammer due to the killer low end, with both Hoppe and Dehn playing like animals. The cutting guitar riffs add an extra dimension to the track, and Tom’s solo as the track fades is a nice touch. “Pills From The Start” is a beast of a track, going at it from the start, Jochum’s vocals are immense as he goes from demonic to melodic to the backdrop of a heavy drum and bass beat with savage riffery from both Hoppelshauser and Jan, this is my favourite track on the album. “Agnosia” opens in manic fashion before hitting a mellow stride that is quickly pushed aside for the aggressive, relentless rhythm created by the drums and bass, with the guitars adding their considerable weight. Jochum lets rip in a near-deathcore style for the most part, interspersed with clean melodic vocals, another amazing track. “
Two Lives” sees the band strip it back with Jochum using clean vocals for the most part, with the track only really deviating from this as it comes to a close with an explosive outburst that is more in keeping with their usual fare, a glimpse of the band’s vulnerable side, and it is not half bad. Normal service is resumed with “Dissection”; a brutally heavy track that is full on, Jochum gives his all in a guttural screaming masterclass as the band row in behind with a pummeling drum beat, booming bass and killer riffs to sonically batter you into submission, one of the heaviest and best tracks on the album.
“Iron Grip” is a more traditional metalcore number with Jochum balancing the screamed and clean vocals throughout. The groove created by Dehn’s drums and Hoppe’s bass is savage, only really hitting me on the second or third rotation. The guitar work from Jan and Tom is killer as they manage to find a lighter melodic tone amongst the chaos, a real standout track. The album closes with “9010”, another banger of a tune with equal measures of melody and heaviness that flow seamlessly into one another, from the hard-hitting verse to the airy chorus, everything just hits right. It is the perfect way to finish things off.
“Phosphor” is out on the 8th May courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records, and if you enjoyed their debut “Lore”, you will absolutely love this.
Review: Conor
| 01 Phosphor | ||
| 02 Aurora | ||
| 03 Modern Age Blasphemy | ||
| 04 Stasis | ||
| 05 TN PFTS | ||
| 06 Agnosia | ||
| 07 Two Lives | ||
| 08 Dissection | ||
| 09 Iron Grip | ||
| 10 9010 |
The Narrator are:
Fabian Jochum Vocals
Tom Hoppelshauser Guitar/vocals
Jan Guitar
Rob Hoppe Bass/vocals
Fritz Dehn Drums
THE NARRATOR LIVE:
10.04.26 UK Nottingham, Rock City
12.04.26 UK London, Modern Era Festival
13.04.26 UK Bristol, The Croft
22.-23.05.26 DE Camping Battleground Open Air
30.05.26 FR Artificial Waves Festival
13.06.26 NL Into The Grave Festival
11.07.26 DE Free For All Festival
12.-15.08.26 DE Summer Breeze Festival
04.-05.09.26 DE Pell Mell Festival
24.10.26 DE Rocken Hilft Festival
EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR 2026
26.09.26 FI Helsinki, On The Rocks
30.09.26 CH Aarau, Kiff Aarau
01.10.26 AT Wien, Flex Café
03.10.26 DE München, Backstage Club
04.10.26 DE Stuttgart, Im Wizemann
06.10.26 CZ Prag, Rock Cafe
07.10.26 DE Leipzig, WERK 2 – Kulturfabrik Leipzig e.V.
08.10.26 DE Berlin, Frannz-Club
09.10.26 DE Hamburg, Bahnhof Pauli
10.10.26 DE Köln, Club Volta
11.10.26 NL Haarlem, Patronaat
13.10.26 DE Wiesbaden, Schlachthof Wiesbaden Kesselhaus
15.10.26 UK London, The Black Heart
16.10.26 FR Paris, La Maroquinerie
17.10.26 NL Tilburg, Little Devil
18.10.26 BE Antwerp, Kavka Oudaan
