MIRE

Merci beaucoup pour cette incroyable critique approfondie !

We want to thank EKLEKTIK for this awesome review of the album. The MIRE journey has been an interesting emergence and It means a lot to us to have people follow along bends and curves.

For the English Speakers - Here is a G translation of the review -

With *Pale Reflection*, the American band Mire reaffirms its talent for delivering a modern, groovy brand of metal—at times reminiscent of Gojira—while showcasing a distinct identity that grows stronger with every release.

We here at Eklektik are big fans of Mire—as you likely already know. We thoroughly wore out their debut album, *A New Found Rain*, as well as their first EP, *Shed* (much of which was later re-recorded for the album). However, eight years have already passed since we first discovered their early tracks, and that debut album contained *only* four brand-new songs. Consequently, we were more than eager to get some fresh material into our ears.

Personnel-wise, nothing has changed within the Mire lineup. The band still features its core founding members: Ryan Glisan on guitar and bass (who also handled drum programming on the first EP); Nick Hipa on guitar (formerly of As I Lay Dying—a connection that went officially unannounced during Mire’s early days to avoid confusion surrounding the *other* band’s reformation); and Benton McKibben on vocals. Joining them—first a few years back, and more recently on a permanent basis—is drummer JP Andrade (who has played in a whole host of bands that remain largely unknown to the general public).

Mirroring this stable lineup, *Pale Reflection* fits seamlessly into the stylistic lineage established by their debut album, offering nine new tracks that bridge the gap between metalcore and modern metal (or "groove metal," as the Americans call it). It is a style of metal that occasionally brings Gojira to mind—a point we previously highlighted in our last review of the band. However, Mire is now beginning to forge a distinct, easily recognizable sound of its own—driven in particular by those dissonant, machine-gun-like guitar riffs, and by Benton’s vocals, which shift effortlessly between a hoarse, aggressive growl and a clear, melodic delivery (sometimes even layered—combining both styles for maximum impact—as heard on the track "Which One Am I"). For his part, Nick adds an extra layer of flair to the mix—most notably through a series of superb guitar solos that showcase his prowess as a true shredder. All these qualities are harnessed to serve truly successful and effective compositions that perfectly balance aggression with melody, while offering some welcome tempo variations—ensuring the album never feels tedious or drawn-out over its 42-minute runtime, a pitfall that is all too easy to stumble into within this style of metal.

Furthermore, I remain just as enthusiastic about Benton’s vocals, and I delight in the variety he brings to the table—take, for instance, that excellent chorus on "The Master" or the successful melodic break on "Where I Belong." He also continues to employ that vocal style—undoubtedly layered with a fair amount of effects—to achieve a somewhat "cybernetic" sound (for lack of a better term); this is evident on the monstrous "Great Pain"—perhaps my favorite track on the record—as well as on "Which One Am I" and the finale, "Send Us" (on which backing vocals interweave to "triple-track" Benton’s lead lines), which brings the album to a magnificent close.

We are also treated—in a novel twist—to subtle, distant symphonic-synthetic effects on "Human Condition," which further contribute to the aforementioned sense of variety.

While they may not be revolutionizing the metal world (something they have never claimed to do), Mire—who appear to remain unsigned—have ultimately delivered, with *Pale Reflection*, a very solid and consistently strong successor to their already highly successful *A New Found Rain*. A word to the wise: if you aren't familiar with them yet, these Americans truly deserve to be discovered.

Mire – Pale Reflection | Eklektik Rock Les américains de Mire confirment avec ce Pale Reflection qui confirme leur talent pour balancer un metal moderne et groovy qui rappelle parfois Gojira, avec un

We’ve been excited to share this one. We present “The Master”. Our 3rd single from the coming “Pale Reflection”.

We hope you enjoy 🙏🏼

MIRE - "The Master" (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) From the upcoming album Pale Reflection, releasing on April 10, 2026.Pre-Order Digital Album/Digipak CD/T-Shirt via Bandcamp: https://thebandmire.bandcamp.co...