If the eyes are the window to the soul, the voice is that soul daring to escape the confines of the physical form. It’s not just how well you can sing, it’s what you choose to do with your voice that is indicative of how strong your soul really is. For Courtney LaPlante and the band Spiritbox, that soul is loud and powerful. And completely front and center throughout the entire 43-minute playtime of Eternal Blue.
The debut album for the Canadian-bred band has been on the most anticipated list for quite some time, especially among heavy metal fans.
LaPlante and her metalcore jawn wooed listeners with their self-titled EP in 2017. Following suit was a collection of singles compiled in 2019, only further growing the amount of hype surrounding the band’s first album.
LaPlante worked on Eternal Blue with husband and guitarist Mike Stringer, bassist Bill Crook, and newcomer drummer Zev Rose. The group moved to Joshua Tree, California in the midst of the pandemic to work on the album in their own safe space.
Despite being unable to perform due to the panini, Spiritbox promoted and teased the album with the release of singles “Holy Roller” and “Constance” in 2020.
Now, with Eternal Blue finally out, we finally have every piece to the puzzle that LaPlante describes as her fully realized voice at the age of 32. That’s certainly no exaggeration.
Part of what makes Spiritbox so popular is the beautiful and oftentimes incredibly introspective lyricism of Courtney LaPlante. The singer blends poetic words with striking, echoing vocals—switching from soft, angelic tones to powerful, throaty screams that represent the dualistic nature of lyric material.
Songs like “Yellowjacket,” featuring Sam Carter of Architects, describe in perfect detail the feeling of loving even through pain.
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Where was the grace when I was begging?
I was asking for it
Songs like “Sun Killer” and the aforementioned “Constance” (the closer of the album) display LaPlante’s powerful trait of perseverance. This album truly is personal—the kind of album you really have to thank the artist for finding the courage to share such a raw spot of their soul.
And y’all, this is heavy. Not just in the source material, though you will cry singing along to these lyrics. But LaPlant is also one of the best clean and unclean vocalists in the game right now. She shows off her guttural vocal prowess in heavier tracks like “Holy Roller” before flexing her soft melodic skills in plays like the title song “Eternal Blue.”
The entire album serves as a full catharsis for LaPlante, the band as a whole, and the fans who feel a certain resonance with the subject matter of the lyrics. I found Spiritbox just as deep and palatable the third time listening as it was the first time. And though I have my favorite tracks, the entire project works in tandem to create an audible portrait of the minds behind it.
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If you’re a fan of the metalcore genre and want to experience a truly eye-opening gaze into the soul of a gifted artist, Spiritbox has you covered with Eternal Blue. The album is available for streaming almost everywhere including Spotify and Apple Music.
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