Afterlife - The Pain That Shapes Us

Afterlife channel the bruising, melodic heaviness of the early 2000s into something fresh on The Pain That Shapes Us, their first album for Mascot Records.The Florida quartet of vocalist Tyler Levenson, guitarist Andrew McGuire, bassist Tristan Edwards and drummer Luke Walkinshaw have been building a loyal following since locking in their lineup in 2017, releasing Breaking Point and Part Of Me along the way. Mascot signed them in 2025 after seeing a single gig, and the band headed into the studio soon after with producers Zach Jones and Austin Coupe.Influences from Slipknot, Linkin Park and Papa Roach are worn proudly, but the songs hit with a modern punch. A Thousand Warnings kicks the door in, Bad Habits pairs a stomping groove with a hook built for festival crowds, and Empty shows a cleaner, more melodic side of the band that hints at real range.Across eleven tracks the album wrestles with the hard experiences that leave a mark, turning pain into fuel rather than wallowing in it, with plenty of breakdowns along the way, right through to the closing Parasite of the Mind.Fans of the nu metal revival will find plenty to throw themselves at here, and it sounds like the start of a big new chapter.