Mark Wise – ‘The Fire Within’ [EP] [Album Review]

Mark Wise, who hails from New Jersey, recently released his EP, The Fire Within, revealing a sound Wise describes as “heavy metal techno.”

Speaking about the evolution of his sound, Wise shares, “I grew up listening to grunge, classic rock, and various shades of metal, and this release is the culmination of my entire musical journey from getting into grunge as a little kid in the mid-’90s, to taking up percussion in 5th grade, playing in a band with friends in high school, starting to DJ in college, finishing my first ever electronic production in 2011, picking up guitar in my mid-20s, and taking on the Mark Wise name in 2017 and making techno my sole focus.”

According to Wise, the genesis of heavy metal techno occurred during the COVID lockdown, when he was watching Rick Beato’s channel on YouTube, along with a reaction channel that exposed him to Harry Styles, Snarky Puppy, and Royal Blood. While listening to Royal Blood’s “Typhoon,” Wise realized that blending heavy guitar riffs over techno beats produced a raw, contagious sound.

The EP features four versions of “The Fire Within:” Original Mix, Tony Ess Remix, Instrumental Mix, and Radio Edit.

Of the four, “The Fire Within (Original Mix)” is the most pertinent, delivering the aggressive lifeblood of heavy metal techno.

Mark Wise

The track opens on a thumping, driving beat topped by low-slung guitars pushing out exotic tones with hints of surf rock. Then the guitars mousse up to searing, growling textures, followed by the entry of potent, rasping vocals surging with urgent timbres. Thrumming with wall-of-sound dynamics composed of unrelenting percussion and blistering guitars, the harmonics heave with pulsating movement.

Imagine Slipknot or Korn attempting to cover Baby Ford or even Kylie Minogue and pulling it off, and you’ll get a feel for The Fire Within.

The Fire Within Track Listing:

1. The Fire Within (Original Mix)
2. The Fire Within (Tony Ess Remix)
3. The Fire Within (Instrumental Mix)
4. The Fire Within (Radio Edit)

Run Time: 26:48
Release Date: March 17, 2023
Record Label: LETS TECHNO records