Locked In A Vacancy Returns with New Single “The Burden of Being”

Fuzz Therapy Records is thrilled to announce the triumphant return of New York-based metalcore titans Locked In A Vacancy with their first new music since 2006. Today marks the release of their much-anticipated single, “The Burden of Being,” a seismic ripple through the ever-shifting metal landscape which premiered Monday on revered Hardcore tastemakers Lambgoat.com.

For those who remember the convergence of hardcore, post-hardcore, and metalcore from the late ’90s to mid-’00s, sitting down to Locked In A Vacancy will be akin to a time capsule; albeit one that also doubles as a ticking time bomb. Blowing the doors off their hinges, “The Burden of Being” shrieks into existence from the very first note, a raptor’s cry finding its wings after being locked away for 17 years. The single is a sonic masterpiece that reinterprets their death metal and metalcore roots, artfully seasoned with themes of life and socio-political dialogues.

Few journeys in the metal world are linear, and Locked in a Vacancy’s path to their newest single, “The Burden of Being,” is no exception. When the band played a reunion show in 2012, the possibility of reviving the group was palpable. Yet, life and new musical ventures made it challenging for the original members to commit. The sudden, tragic loss of their drummer, Rick Cimato, in December 2012, further clouded the band’s future.

“I can’t write lyrics about things I don’t think are important to convey to an audience. As a vocalist for this type of band, I couldn’t see myself going on stage to scream at an audience if I didn’t have something important to say.” – Dyami Bryant

When the band reconvened in 2018 after years of reflection and a hiatus that seemed interminable to their fans, they found that the energy and musicianship had not just survived but evolved. Rehearsals sparked the realization that a mere one-off show couldn’t contain their artistic potential. What began as a casual jam session, revisiting older material ignited their collective creativity.

However, just as momentum was building, the global pandemic threw another wrench into plans. Everything was put on hold—tours, recordings, and even the euphoria of creating something new. A year and a half later, some members left, but the band’s core remained, supplemented by new and returning talents. Earlier this year, they laid down tracks for three new songs with longtime friend and producer Len Carmichael. Their old bassist, Nick Bohun, also came on board, providing a soundscape track reminiscent of their earlier work.

The result is the single “The Burden of Being,” a song encapsulating years of personal and collective challenges but also growth. It signals not just the band’s return but their evolution and resilience. This is the Locked in a Vacancy for a new era, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of its own intricate history in an era pockmarked by the influences of black metal, djent and technical metal. The track draws on eclectic influences to create a sound not dissimilar from previous contemporaries, such as Between the Buried and Me, From A Second Story Window, and Curl Up And Die. Far from a derivative regurgitation of genre tropes, however, “The Burden Of Being” instead stands out as an anthem of growth and maturity.

Locked In A Vacancy “The Burden of Being” single artwork