Polyphia – 'Be Not Afraid' review: guitar virtuosos dive into the dark
The instrumental band's fifth album sounds dark, synth-heavy and dubstep-tinged. Critics are split – and in December Polyphia come to Germany.
Photo: Drew de F Fawkes from Guildford, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Polyphia · youtube.com
Single: Power In The Blood
Polyphia released their fifth album 'Be Not Afraid' on Rise Records on 23 October, their first since 'Remember That You Will Die' (2022). The twelve tracks carry titles such as 'Let There Be Light', 'Mark Of The Beast' and 'Fear God'. "Thematically, it's by far the most meaningful record we've ever made," guitarist Tim Henson said, according to Blabbermouth.
Kerrang! critic Sam Law gives it four out of five: the band narrow their sprawling style into a darker, synth-heavy, almost dubstep-inflected sound and come across as a cohesive unit rather than a technical showcase. Distorted Sound disagrees: Rowan Bruce gives just 4 out of 10, praising the bold reinvention but finding that the heavy production buries the guitar work and that the album often forgets what made the band interesting.
The album will soon be heard live in Germany: Polyphia play Munich (Zenith) on 27 November, Leipzig (Haus Auensee) on 30 November, Hamburg (Docks) on 2 December, Berlin (Tempodrom) on 5 December and Oberhausen (Turbinenhalle) on 6 December. Perturbator joins the European dates. The video is the official music video for 'Power In The Blood', shot in Rio de Janeiro.