Song Spotlight: "Metal Earth" by Fortune Teller

On Aug. 27, Pittsburgh metal band Fortune Teller released their song “Metal Earth,” and it’s a raging, blistering track that will make your face melt. “Metal Earth” comes off their album Collapse, which is set to release on Oct. 8.

The intensity of this track is driven by the wailing guitar, bold drums, and the high notes and screams of vocalists Giovanni Orsini and J.J. Young. I’m a sucker for a great singing voice, and this track delivers. At one point, the song dissolves into a fast and fury-fueled interlude at around the 1:30 mark and then slows down, highlighting the cryptic and intricate lyrics.

“Oxidizing where you’ve been,
This is what you’re aiming for.
All stirring in sin.
No surprising, melting whims.
This is what you’re aiming for.
Don’t you think you’re dead?”

I predict listening to this song on its own will get listeners excited for the full album. There’s a lot of storytelling going on within the lyrics that further listening can only delve deeper into.

“Collapse is a continuation of the concept which Fortune Teller launched with their debut. As many of us aimlessly wandered through the confusing and chaotic pre- and post-pandemic worlds, the protagonist which the ‘Fortune Teller’ story follows has been fighting the same battles,” reads a press release for the song. “In Collapse, as the title insinuates, the combatant is now dealing with the broken pieces and damaged psyches that are left behind in the dust by their opponent, as their sky continues to collapse around them. All of us can see ourselves as the centerpiece of the Fortune Teller world from time to time, and inevitably, even when we seem to pick up our pieces, the blemishes remain — looking through, staring back at you.”

“Metal Earth” delivers an annihilating sound and an anthem-like chorus that will keep you listening more than once. It is available for streaming now wherever you listen, with the music video up on YouTube. You can also preorder the album and buy the track on Bandcamp.