For Patterns of Decay, their new single House of Doors “illuminates the hardships, obstacles and disappointments” the band have had to overcome, as frontman Christian Contello notes.
The track – lead single from the band's forthcoming self-titled album, and third overall – reflects this theme in the guitar work of Matthew Stirrat and Dan Gold: the struggles in its visceral palm-muted riffs and the triumph in its soaring harmonized leads.
But despite its complex six-string arrangements, the track actually came together very organically, Stirrat reveals.
“Contrary to our normal songwriting approach, this song was written over the course of a single band practice,” he says. “You could really feel the excitement in the room when we were jamming on it, too. It pumped some new blood back into the band that we desperately needed.”
Fans will have to wait until April to listen to the new album in full, but in the meantime, Stirrat and Gold have shot a new guitar playthrough of House of Doors, which we're premiering here on Guitar World. Check it out above.
Gear-wise, Stirrat plays an ESP LTD Deluxe Phoenix-1000 with Fishman Fluence Modern active pickups, while Gold equips himself with a Jackson Pro Series Rhoads RR24 with Bare Knuckle Aftermath humbuckers. Both guitarists run through EVH 5150 III 50W amp heads.
“House of Doors honors our metalcore roots,” Stirrat continues, “while also showcasing our newer more mature sound, not heard on previous releases. This song represents a new frontier for Patterns of Decay; one that will hopefully lead to new fans who can bang their heads along with us.”
