Algorithm

Metalcore intensity meets prog-rock complexity on My Heart to Fear’s debut album, Algorithm. Following up a worthy first EP for Solid State, the Williamsport, Pa., quintet further extends its audacious sonic reach, harnessed in the service of an aggressively God-centered message. Quick dynamic shifts, stark rhythmic contrasts, and dramatic lyric transitions define the band’s approach. Between the scorching opener “Dust to Dust” and the sonically brutal yet life-affirming closer “Pack Your Bags, We’re Leaving,” MHTF plunges into bleakness and rapture, often in the same song. Vocalist Trevor Pool spices up his formidable roar with hints of a rapper’s flow, lending tunes like “4th Dimension Opera House” the feel of manic sermons. Middle Eastern influences color the title number, while “The Sneaking Chair” taps into jazz ideas to balance ferocity and gentleness. Most ambitious is “Bottomed Out,” a suite-like descent into spiritual desperation featuring the vocals of Maitland’s Josh Hines. Jeremiads like the confrontational “414 Days” are paired with fevered gothic visions like “The Witching Hour, Pt. II.”