otHERside ft moodring - mirrorcell review
- Kaylah Chilcott
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
Metalcore weapons, MIRRORCELL, have joined forces with MOODRING to drop an emotional single, ‘OTHERSIDE’. It has been paired up with their single from June, ‘U(PHORIA)’, and ‘OTHERSIDE’ has fused the two bands together beautifully.
MIRRORCELL, from Missouri, were influenced by the sounds of NINE INCH NAILS, LOATHE and DEFTONES, which glows in their original work. They embody edgy metalcore with a gloss of gaze and nu-metal painted over the top to create a dreamy, emotional sound.
I’ve been a fan of MOODRING for a little while, since I discovered their STARGAZER release, which opened a new kind of appreciation for this emerging style of music. It is very moody and soulful, guitar and bass often driving a darker edge.
I can definitely see fans of bands like THORNHILL and LOATHE falling head over heels for MIRRORCELL and MOODRING. If you’ve never heard either, ‘OTHERSIDE’ is your perfect gateway.
‘OTHERSIDE’s opening riffs are slamming, bouncy and fun, immediately creating a melancholic vibe before falling away to make you feel weightless. Utilising rest notes, there are pockets of silence, creating reset for the rest of the passage, weaving emotion and soul through even the tougher parts of the song.
The chorus is dense, with smooth guitars that have no major edges, immersing you in front man NATE CELL’s sweet lyrics of vulnerability and devotion. Without knowing exactly, I think the song speaks to a willingness to seek out connection or love, even if it leads you down the wrong path or towards a darkness hidden by trust or affection. That even the person you’re most devoted to can drive you further into the depths.
“You're the light
That takes me further
Into the dark of the Otherside”
The drums are attention grabbing, the second verse showing this spectacularly by allowing them to stand alone with vocals for a moment, and while it is a consistent beat (as in, it’s not constantly flourished by tings and toms and cymbals thrown everywhere) the choice of super cool. if you can create something cool with only kick and bass, then everything else is also deliberately paced and chosen too. It really speaks to the deliberate choice of regular and irregular fills across the rest of the song.
The rest of the song is just as captivating - but I think you should hear that for yourself.
‘OTHERSIDE’ blends the edgy riffage and electronic inclusion of a lot of modern metalcore, with the heavy and bouncy drops of nu metal, with harsh and sweet vocals coming together to develop an addictive tone. I hope this track helps boost MIRRORCELL to the recognition they deserve.
If you enjoyed 'Otherside', but want something just a little heavier, their earlier single 'U(phoria)' will be perfect.
Their music video for the release is a moody, 90s/2000s aesthetic clip, perfectly encapsulating a mix of their influences and nostalgic sound - watch HERE!
CHECK OUT MORE FROM MIRRORCELL AND MOODRING HERE!
