Album Review: Space of Variations – Poisoned Art (Napalm Records)

Ukrainian metalcore force Space of Variations returns with ‘Poisoned Art’, out on February 13, 2026, via Napalm Records.

Delivering an explosive sound that has tons of appeal, especially if modern metalcore is your jam, Space of Variations return with a punchy, infectious, and evolved record that genre-bends in mostly pleasing fashion. Not everything works, personally, but what does, is memorable, interesting, and fresh sounding. A tough task in the world of metalcore these days, so credit to Space of Variations for creating music that stands out.

If you need just one song, just one song, to tell you everything you need to know about this album then Tribe is a must listen. Opening the record in style, this bouncy blast of heavy energy, blended with garish effects, two-stepping intensity, and wacked out melody is huge sounding. It’s a track that points out the obvious, Space of Variations are back, brimming with emotion, and in a very creative place.

From that to Halo, where an anthemic clean chorus changes the heavy tone, even though the drums have the power to bust heads, and Mayday’s vocal switches feel so effortless. Space of Variations are a destructive force even with a ton of melody that works to highlight their emotionally fraught side. A side that feels so natural, and a side that works in harmony with their angrier, more intense, side.

Only on occasion does the cleaner, more melodious side of the band truly dominate and one such example is Parallel Realities. I like the singing, but it’s not the most interesting of tracks aside from these immense flareups of impassioned vocal heaviness.

Whereas Doppelgänger, a groovy and electronically textured listen, is an absolute banger and Godlike and Ghost Town deliver plenty of likable, raucous, melodically charged metal. These are some of the more ‘basic’ metalcore efforts that Space of Variations have to offer on this album, but that doesn’t stop them being thoroughly enjoyable too.

Unfortunately, as I said at the start there are times when things don’t quite work for me and one such track is Coldheaven. Sort of. It’s the hip-hop elements that fail to spark, even though I like the industrial vibe the overall track has. It’s a track that I find myself torn on, enjoying it up until the halfway point, but I can at least acknowledge it’s creative.

That’s Space of Variations for you though, they ooze creativity and passion, and this album shows growth throughout. The latter portion giving us some serrated guitar riffs, hostile vocal roars, slamming core energy and anthemic bounce, as well as eccentric touches of electronica via Back to Dirt and Snake Skin.

The album then comes to an end with Lies and Echo, with the former highlighting just how anthemic Space of Variations can be even when the emotions threaten to overflow and the latter, a short piece of atmospheric prettiness that creates a ‘full circle’ kind of mindset. It’s not over, it’s simply time to start it all again, and few will be against doing that, such is the quality of the release.

Space of Variations – Poisoned Art Track Listing:

1. Tribe
2. Halo
3. Mayday
4. Parallel Realities
5. Doppelgänger
6. Godlike
7. Ghost Town
8. Coldheaven
9. Back to Dirt
10. Snake Skin
11. Lies
12. Echo

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