Article written & Edited by Kelly-Mae Matt

After tapping into their darker side in their previous single, The Haunted, Re:O have since returned with their 8th single, Violets, which explores the depths of grief and combines Re:O’s signature blend of metal riffs with sombre and harrowing melodies and synthonic instrumentation.

Set to release on all streaming platforms from April 9th, 2025, Violets is a song that will captivate listeners through its mesmerising vocals, haunting piano melodies and its use of sombre and harrowing melodies that perfectly capture the feeling of grief and pain. For fans of Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal, Metalcore, Goth, J-Pop, Dark Pop, Nu-Metal, Post Hardcore and Rock, Violets is sure to bewitch both seasoned and new listeners of Re:O’s music.

Review:

Much like the grief and pain that we experience upon losing a loved one, Violets creeps up on you. Quiet and unassuming at first, Re:O pulls us into a world of haunting darkness until finally, we are engulfed in the sorrow and heartache of the chorus. Similar to grief, this song blooms into something all-consuming and dark, allowing us to experience the protagonists overwhelming feelings of despair the more Violets goes on.

It’s a beautiful song, one that holds power in both its resounding chorus and more subdued verses, with the latter creating a quiet, almost eerie approach as the chorus creeps up on you. After opening with a heavy instrumental, we quickly fall into a calming verse, one that feels daunting. It’s almost as if the verses are there to lull us into a sense of quiet disbelief, something akin to the feelings we hold back and the denial we feel when losing someone we love. Then, we are thrown into the chorus, loud and unrestrained as we finally give in to the grief and allow it to consume us completely, if only for a moment.

Your words
I’m reliving
‘Life’s for living’

It is incredibly clever how Re:O makes use of the quieter moments in the instrumental. Not only do they lull you into a false sense of security with the song, but they quickly pull you into the crux of the song without any shame, drawing you into the true depths of sadness and despair so that you can understand just how grief works. It shifts and wanes, never truly one thing or the other, and it never leaves you in peace. It simply consumes you in both its quiet and its more harrowing moments, until it is all you can feel.

Rio’s vocals are once again superb in the groups latest release. The composition is mesmerising and memorable, and the balance between the lyrics and instrumental breaks is seamless. And, while there is no true end for the grief that is imbued within this song, Violets acts as a reminder that, while there can be quieter moments, grief never truly grows away and will return in the most unexpected of ways.

Alone
I’m Thrown
Alone
I
Bloom into violets

Violets is a well thought out song, one that was clearly made with love and respect for its subject matter and people that we have loved and lost in our lives. Written in loving memory of Bass player James Wright’s grandmother, Joyce Rose Brooks, Violets is a powerful tribute to her memory, and to those that we have lost and dearly miss in our own lives.

Violets – Written in loving memory of Joyce Rose Brooks 03/01/1931 – 15/01/2021 Grandmother of James Wright

You can find listen to Violets on YouTube, Spotify, soundcloud, Bandcamp and Apple Music.

Be sure to check out and follow Re:O on social media for updates and news on new releases and live performances. You can find Re:O on these platforms:

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Song Credits:
Composition: Re:O – Rio Suyama, James Wright, James ‘J’ Stevens, Jon Roberts
Lyrics: James Wright
Produced by: Rio Suyama & Simon Jackson
Vocals: Rio Suyama & Jon Roberts
Guitar: Jon Roberts
Bass: James Wright
Drums: James ‘J’ Stevens

Artwork Credits: Rio Suyama & James ‘J’ Stevens