REVIEW: Of Mice & Men - Another Miracle

With eight albums already under their belt, the Southern California quartet OF MICE & MEN show no sign of slowing down, with album nine Another Miracle out this week. These guys have a legacy to uphold, with their self-titled debut reaching the grand old age of 15 years old and still being hailed as one of the great albums of the metalcore generation. Their career has been pretty steady since then - the soon-to-be nine full length albums as a band speaks for itself - alongside multiple tours with iconic bands such as SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK.

Another Miracle is completely self-made, with the album being mixed and mastered by the band’s own AARON PAULEY. For a lot of artists, being entirely in control of every step of the journey is the dream, and we can see here that the band have chosen their own vision and artistry over asking some sought-after producer to come in and take the reins. Lyrically, Another Miracle is an exploration of loneliness, of depression and anxiety that a lot of listeners will relate to in some capacity, and feels like a development of plenty of their previous work.

To likely no one’s surprise, the first track of Another Miracle - titled Waltz - is, in fact, a waltz. Not many metalcore songs are written like this, but with punchy drums, a euphoric sound and in parts a musical theatre-esque drama and expressiveness, it is certainly memorable. The repeated lyrics of “A waltz for the withering, A dance for the damned, A psalm for the suffering, A jubilee of despair.” give an element of foreshadowing as the album begins. The second track Troubled Water is not the cover you may have expected from the title, but does include lyrics that refer back to the iconic SIMON AND GARFUNKEL hit, with “Over troubled water, I won't lay me down“ harking back to a true heavyweight of popular music. Lyrically, this is one of the more personal tracks, with impressive vocals to match. Safe Water contrasts this and is more hopeful, possessing a nostalgic early 2010s feel to it, while Hourglass feels like nothing more or less than a textbook track for both the band and the genre.

Wake Up is slower and less exciting than the songs that precede it - whilst it does feel reminiscent of Deftones, it doesn’t have enough power behind it to hit as hard as its potential inspiration. Despite this, the lyrics are very encouraging and offer an optimistic outlook for the future. What follows it is Flowers, and although the electronic part is an interesting and welcome addition, it’s not enough. Something feels missing, although it does pick up partway through. However, title track Another Miracle is heavy, anthemic, and compelling. Losing the sluggishness of the songs before, it sounds like it was born to play live, and it almost begs for an audience.

Now that we're beyond the slower songs, things start to gain more momentum again with tracks such as Contact, Parable, and Somewhere In Between, which are all both catchy and commanding. Parable is the strongest of the three, whilst the latter has a real old school metalcore charm to it. Penultimate track Swallow’s breakdown is a highlight, showcasing ascendent vocals and crashing drums by VALENTINO ARTEAGA. The supposed big finale Infinite is more of the same - it has some standout moments, but nothing too daring that would otherwise push it above the parapet.

All in all, these tracks will resonate and bring comfort to longtime listeners and those invested in their career. There’s a solid body of work here that puts the band in a vulnerable state, and demonstrates a great sense of artistry and drive to produce the album themselves. Whilst there are some notable segments, there’s nothing too flashy and musically this LP does feel very safe. The main take away from this experience - rather than considering the lack of evolution the band have taken - should be to take on the lyrics and keep going, power on, and use art as a creative outlet when things get tough.

Score: 7/10

Another Miracle will be released on the 14th November 2025 via Century Media Records.

Words: Danielle Henderson

Photos: Of Mice & Men