Album Review: Arson Charge – A Dying Light (Anxious & Angry)

Rising up from Denver, Colorado’s prolific metal scene, Arson Charge is a five-piece behemoth made up of former members from mile-high area stalwarts Native Daughters, Chieftain, and Love Me Destroyer, and fronted by stand-up comedian, actor, and SPELLS lead singer, Ben Roy. Their debut album ‘A Dying Light’ is set for release on October 3rd, 2025, via Anxious and Angry Records.

The Feeding Grounds introduces the album in noisy, curious, and somewhat anxiety-inducing fashion. It’s a cacophony of drums that flows into the raging head banger that is For the Damned. It’s here that we get the full might of Arson Charge, a potent combination of metallised groove, thrash, hardcore, and punk. Already proving to be addictive, and then along comes the energised and punchy Cleanup on Aisle 10. Which is a vitriolic blast of riffy heaviness.

One by One is an album highlight though, not just because it’s furiously intense, but because it has anthemic hardcore-infused bounce. You can go absolutely wild to this one, but groove fans won’t be left wanting either. An absolute blast of a track.

What might end up surprising people is that this debut is quite varied too. Arson Charge have a wide array of talents and aren’t afraid to experiment in places, heavily evident by the charismatic A New Throne. The first minute and a half of this track is baffling, but in the best way, and when it does get chunkier, it just gets more expressive. It’s a very cool, attention-grabbing listen.

Tracks like this work so well because they sit alongside fiery, short, punky efforts like There Was No Dog and scathing expulsions of wrath like 666 BC. Easy to love bangers, but again, I have to say that it’s the unexpectedly creative twists of tracks like The Aftermath that stay with me long afterwards. A track you can head bang to, but a track with a ton of feeling too. It’s a fascinating listen, with one of the most unexpected endings.

The Lark, the Wolf and the Rabbit then brings the energy back up in anarchic fashion with wild sounding vocals. Before Build a Fire puts the groovy guitars front and centre again, Bloodstains goes for the jugular with its punchy hardcore beats, and A Dying Light wraps things up in a highly imaginative way. This finale might be the most inventive track of the album, but with that will come a certain amount of polarisation.

Personally, I love it, and I found myself all in on what Arson Charge are doing here. A kick ass band making some seriously kick ass music.

Arson Charge – A Dying Light Track Listing:

1. The Feeding Grounds
2. For the Damned
3. Cleanup on Aisle 10
4. One by One
5. A New Throne
6. There Was No Dog
7. 666 BC
8. The Aftermath
9. The Lark, the Wolf and the Rabbit
10. Build a Fire
11. Bloodstains
12. A Dying Light

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