Loathe Returns With Long-Awaited Single ‘Gifted Every Strength’

Live, laugh, Loathe. 

The prolonged journey between the release of new Loathe music has become an inescapable trend among the scene. Rising to gravity-defying heights of popularity after the release of their 2020 album, I Let It In And It Took Everything, a furious blend of powerful sound and heart-wrenching sentiment, the countdown was on to keep the pace and the expectations of greatness settled. A few singles and features here and there - along with a cheeky backstage interview at Good Things Festival pressing them for more info - but nothing really seemed ‘in the works’. 

Until now.

After months of secretly playing it at live shows, Loathe have finally dropped ‘Gifted Every Strength’- an assertion of themselves among the pressures that have been surrounding their name for months. 

Six minutes long, ‘Gifted Every Strength’ is nothing short of an epic. Traversing through stages of sound, it approaches the track as if it holds fragmented chapters, all joined together by a visceral and audible tie - a sound that formulates the Loathe narrative within. 

Opening with an unsettling blur, the stage is set for a haunting deliverance of the band’s steadfast sensibilities. These noises project outwards, leading itself towards one of the most ferocious and heavy riffs within this band's discography. The grimy and relentless screams add to this gnarly soundscape, with the short and sharp breaths just in ear reach, adding to the dire and soul-stirring soundscape created. The drums within this track really take centre stage, intrusively exploding into every moment of the first two-thirds of ‘Gifted Every Strength’, leaving nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. That is, until the song takes sweeping declines, seeing Kadeem France’s vocals crawl towards you, reaching out solemnly, before abducting you back into the hellish swarm of sound. 

It was within the third act, if you will, of the song that I found myself hit with the emotions only a few songs conjure; my face scrunching, my body moving restlessly. It is nothing short of an instrumental feat of explosiveness, creativity, confidence, and ability, seeing the band forcefully import their signature style within the track. The song flourishes instrumentally, with a groove still embedded in the dark tones. 

‘Gifted Every Strength’ concludes with a perplexing and elusive ending, stripping back the layers to present mere chords trailing off. To me, it opens itself up to more, leading us down an unlit path in which we must decide to wander down. And if this is where more Loathe lies, the risk is worth it. 

See what all the hype is about, and listen to new Loathe here!

Words by Georgia Haskins @ghaskins2002