Review: FEAR NOT – ‘Voluntary Madness’ (Remastered) Single
By Seth Metoyer, Heaven’s Metal Magazine
FEAR NOT is a band that has been carving its place in a world where mainstream rock was bloated with excess, and the underground was sharpening its teeth. Chris Sorensen is a phenomenal guitarist. We had some great chats when I lived in Nashville in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Conversations about music, the industry, and life in general.
The Song: Remastered, but Recognizable
“Voluntary Madness” is a song about alcohol—the grip it has, the damage it does, and the hope that exists beyond it. Originally from their 2022 album Fields of Sorrow, this remastered version is slightly crisper, a bit more refined, but ultimately the same beast. The bones are unchanged, and the intent is intact.
Now signed to Resurrection Records, FEAR NOT has found a new home to push their message further. The track remains a muscular, weighty anthem of struggle and redemption, with Eddie Green’s vocals still carrying that raw edge of lived experience. The soaring delivery, reminiscent of the best of Alter Bridge and hard rock’s greats, ensures that fans of powerful, anthemic vocals will find plenty to love here. The remastering gives it a bit more punch, a little more clarity—but it’s not a revolution, just a reaffirmation.
The Art: Aesthetic Chaos
The single artwork is striking, visceral, and unsettling in the best way possible. A shadowed, shirtless figure grips a gas mask against their face, their fingers digging into the mask as if they are suffocating from within—a blood-red area on the headgear hints at violence—whether external or self-inflicted is left to interpretation. The image oozes tension, a visual metaphor for the song’s themes of inner struggle and breaking free. The dark, distressed aesthetic mirrors the weight of the track itself, making it an instantly recognizable and thematically fitting cover.
The Message: A Battle Cry for the Broken
FEAR NOT’s press release paints “Voluntary Madness” as a song born from personal pain, written and sung by Eddie Green in a moment of clarity about addiction’s grip. Eddie Green describes the writing process as near-spontaneous, guided by something bigger than himself. Call it divine intervention, call it creative instinct—either way, it hit fast and hard.
The message is simple: hope. That word gets thrown around a lot, especially in music that flirts with faith and redemption. But here, it’s not a platitude—it’s a lifeline. A punch thrown in the face of despair.
The band chose to remaster this song because it connects with fans of faith-based rock and anyone who’s ever found themselves looking for an escape at the bottom of a bottle. And that, perhaps, is where FEAR NOT’s power truly lies—writing songs that resonate beyond genre and belief, speaking to something primal in all of us.
Final Verdict
If you loved the original, you’ll appreciate the touch-ups. If you never heard it before, the remaster is a solid entry point. Either way, “Voluntary Madness” remains an anthem for those clawing their way out of the darkness.
Out now! Give it a listen.
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