OF VIRTUE SHARE THEMES OF TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS AND NOT FEELING ALONE WITH ‘SINNER’

Of Virtue released their new EP Sinner on Friday August 12, 2022 via Arising Empire. This effort follows two years after their third full length album, What Defines You.

Starting off with the title track, “Sinner” paints the picture of how it feels to deal with a toxic relationship. People who are in a toxic relationship may believe the other person in a situation to be the savior. It’s an interesting placement of the title track, but it starts the EP off on a strong note. One line that grabs my attention throughout the song is, “Day and night, I see the light you open up the scars I cauterize, day and night, you bury me, alive.” It really hits home with the fact that even if there’s love, there is the fine line between toxic and healthy love.

“Hypocrite” follows to create the juxtaposition of someone being seen as a savior in a toxic relationship, but how they’re the hypocrite because they’re hurting the one person they swore to love. The guitar riffs are heavy and drive the song into the breakdown where vocalist Tyler Ennis screams “burn.” Regardless of the specific situation the band is painting, it can be felt across the board. Situations where people end on bad terms and want the best really lies in how they act when no one’s around.

Sinner concludes on a reminiscent note with “Echoes.” The song begins with a transmission, creating an eerie atmosphere that drives the meaning of the song to heart. The transmission reminds me of someone who’s giving their last message. It’s a calling to those who feel alone, from the mistakes of their past. It hits home, since I’ve made mistakes that cost me everything; but I’m slowly learning that there are people out there who care. Throughout the song, there is always the echo of the past, further pushing the theme of not wanting to be alone.

Sinner encapsulates how it feels to be in a toxic relationship — whether it be romantic or platonic, it all hurts the same. There’s the feeling of someone presenting themself as a savior, the realization of the hypocrisy and the cold bloodedness of trying to find yourself once you leave. Sinner is an EP for anyone who has ever dealt with and lived through a toxic relationship, or for someone who just wants to not feel alone.

TAGS: Of Virtue | Arising Empire