save your tears - ben rankin single review

Ben Rankin has been hard at work in 2025, and it seems he is not slowing down coming into 2026! With the craziness that is December, I’m taking a quick look back to his last single ‘SAVE YOUR TEARS’ which is the first off his upcoming album IN MEMORIAM (stay tuned for 27th of February)! This is a follow up to his June EP THIS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH - no sleep for the wicked, hey.

The goal for in memoriam is that it will be setting rankin's old music to rest, and moving in a new direction with the writer stating that;

"the old me is dead. it's time for something new."

‘SAVE YOUR TEARS’ starts out a bit low fi to get you warmed up, with the guitar’s lead line kicking us off into the song. Rankin’s vocals come in with radio style EQing and drop in between the main riffs. rankin sets us up really well, and the first few bars of the song create the hype and He will keep up this high for the rest of the song - so strap in!

Likening himself to bands such as TRIVIUM, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and the BLACK VEIL BRIDES, I can certainly see the late 2000s/early 2010s metal scene influencing his sound. At the end of the verse, we get treated with some of RANKIN’s screams which are then layered across opposing clean vocals in the chorus, which remind me of ANDY BIERSACK style harsh vocals, that shrill, demonic and haunting sound.

the lead guitar line is attention grabbing and catchy, but I believe it could have been used more sparingly across the song in order to get the most impact out of it. It works well in the chorus, and the guitar solo really helps break down the format of the song a bit. I like that the solo feels a bit slower than some other parts, and the chugging rhythm underneath allows it to shine above.

The overall guitar tone is pretty good, quite clean, and it’s not overly aggressive for the genre (so don't expect any major breakdowns). it maintains enough snap when it falls into that main riff to break away from the rhythmic sections. This does let the drums really fall to the back of the track, lacking interesting tings and tangs (even some double kick would have gone far!), so rankin's vocals and guitars sit heavily front and center.

My personal gripe is that it comes across a bit flat for me, and I think it’s a dynamics issue. Not enough layering, overly consistent use of the same riffs, and potentially too much all at once. Writing an EP and then a full length album is a challenge! To have accomplished is a feat, but when does that interfere with true creative pursuit?

Overall, ‘SAVE YOUR TEARS’ is a solid first single from someone hard at work! This seems to be a great representation of what is to come from BEN RANKIN’s upcoming album IN MEMORIAM.

For those who have never heard him before - don't listen to his back catalogue. let yourself be amazed for what is to come and allow his musical journey to take root.

Check out BEN RANKIN’s socials to make sure you don’t miss any more upcoming singles from IN MEMORIAM! His next single, 'REWIND' drops on the 9th! (Keep and eye on the HOT and Heavy Blog for the review!)

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