Southern California metal force Phinehas release their fifth album, ‘The Fire Itself,’ on Solid State Records. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members of Phinehas took the necessary time to reflect on and process the last few years of constant touring with little to no time for creativity. “Stillness amplified some struggles I knew I had but hadn’t processed,” McCulloch of the band said. “For the first time, I had to deal head-on with fear and anxiety.” The result of the band’s efforts became ‘The Fire Itself,’ a transparent outpouring of McCulloch’s internal thoughts. Intentional, painful, and wholly authentic, the album presses into what it feels like to be a broken human being from their perspective. Instrumentally, the album is just as thoughtful but with a sharper edge than records past.