Fragments' single 'END/OR' might be one of their most vulnerable, raw, and unapologetic records—plunging into themes surrounding feelings of imposter syndrome, which chips away at self-worth.
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The track is drenched in Fragments' signature underground metal style. It opens with a shredding guitar segment accompanied by crashing drums that play a haunting and eerie melody, similar to the lyrics that follow, which say, "This ain’t heaven, This ain’t hell, Just life eating us away." The music crescendos into an explosive chorus using blistering riffs and scalding lyrics to blur the lines between despair and defiance.
'END/OR' marks the first single that the band's new drummer, Keiran Tumpalan, has been featured on. His drumming prowess definitely shines through on the track, giving it that edge and brutality that the song hopes to capture, while helping Fragments polish and evolve their distinct sound.
Although the track strays slightly away from the usual politically charged or anti-religious themes that Fragments writes about, lead singer Niko Cezar delves deeper into their choice to cover such a visceral theme for this track.
"For this one, I stopped pointing outward and started asking myself the hard questions — what’s going on with me? Where is this pain coming from? Why am I angry all the time? Why do I feel like I’m not enough, even when I try? I went somewhere darker than I expected and confronted things I usually bury."
He reflects, "I tried to write it as honestly as I could — no holds barred. 'END/OR' is about those thoughts that keep us up at night, the ones we never say out loud — not to our friends, not even to the people we love. And if those thoughts win... what’s left of us?"
A fun fact about the title of the track 'END/OR' is its inspiration coming from Star Wars: The Battle of Endor, which represents a battle of destruction and hope, making it the perfect fit for the name of the track.
Fragments has also announced a short tour alongside the release of 'END/OR'. The first show as part of their tour supported the launch of the track's music video, directed by lead singer Niko, which is a deep and truly haunting depiction of the theme of the song.
The upcoming two shows on their tour will be held on 30 August and 6 September.
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'END/OR' truly showcases Fragments' ability to look inward and write about introspective themes—evolving their overall sound and defying their artistic capabilities.
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