Written by Sosefina Fuamoli

In the six years since their acclaimed record I Let It In And It Took Everything became lauded as a modern-day classic, Liverpool alternative group Loathe have become one of heavy music’s most intriguing names. 

Their reputation as a prolific live band has been bolstered by memorable tours opening for the likes of Spiritbox, Gojira, Bring Me The Horizon, Motionless in White and more, but what has really stirred their fanbase in more recent history, has been the concept of new music. 

When the band unveiled "Gifted Every Strength" in May 2025, it was their first release (at the time) in three years: a delicious morsel of maybe something bigger that was waiting in the wings. And finally, over a year on, Loathe have delivered what their fans have been waiting for – their long awaited third album, A Stranger To You.

Immediately, the album teases threads of escape for the listener. Opening with a hypnotic moment of spoken word delivered by LA-based rapper and songwriter, bucki sugar, the album starts on an almost meditative note before sprawling into an indulgent, slick and chaotic soundscape that, once it takes off, is hard to rein back in. 

A Stranger To You is one of those records that refuses to hold the listener’s hand, instead gleefully pushing us into the experience. It is a project that has cleared the decks, in a way, for Loathe: the band has taken their time in dismantling what may have felt too comfortable or regimented musically, and has poured into themselves, their chemistry and dynamic as a unit. 

The redefinition of what makes them work as a band is evident throughout this record. A Stranger To You feels like Loathe at a vicious new peak. 

"Block Of Flats" arrives with flashes of metal, electronic and atmospheric production, before opening into Deftones-esque tones on "Fortress Down" and "The Way It Breaks". 

"Gemini" snarls, bass lines thundering beneath punishing percussion and riffs. The single "Revenant" - featuring NOWHERE2RUN - is frantic and avant-garde in its delivery at the same time, yet still feels at home alongside some of the album’s quieter moments. Nothing on A Stranger To You feels out of place, even when the band is pushing further into territory that might feel new to them.

Djent-leaning metalcore can meet trip-hop and indie inflections here, while death growls and breakdowns still remain prominent drawcards of Loathe’s current sonic palette. What is sure to bring a smile to fans’ faces as the final minute or so of album closer ‘No Stranger To You…’ plays out, is the realisation that this is a band on the cusp of a brilliant new arc. 

In taking the time to hone their core vision for their art, do some maturing and evolving themselves outside the band, Loathe has regrouped in a way that has prepared them to offer audiences the strongest version of themselves to date. 

A Stranger To You is a love letter to not taking the easy way out and instead, putting one foot and idea in front of the other in creating work one can be proud to stand behind. At times beautifully complex and dark and at others, cathartic and vibrant, A Stranger To You is a potent offering from a band who has re-entered our orbit unafraid to challenge and reshape the formula that has already brought them near-universal praise and success.

An almost divinely executed album, delivered in a year that has already had so many strong releases, Loathe shows us that you can’t rush perfection.

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Tickets for the A Stranger to You North American are selling fast. Find a list of dates and cities below. Get tickets - HERE

A Stranger To You is out via SharpTone. Order the album - HERE