Of Virtue: Harbingers of the New Heavy

By Joey Dizon

Over the past decade, championing musical evolution and progress in modern heavy music, Of Virtue has consistently combined musical adventurousness with highly melodic choruses and straightforward lyricism, delivering a sonically tight and punchy output.

Hailing from the barren, cold fields of Lansing, Michigan, the band—drummer Ryan Trinh, guitarists Damon Tate and Michael Valdez, and vocalist Tyler Ennis—initially emerged as a young metalcore act. It was when they began incorporating various modern styles and textures into their sound that they caught the attention of a worldwide fan base. Currently, they’ve amassed over 6.5 million streams on Spotify, and the band has performed in over 30 countries across three continents.

And they’re just getting warmed up.

In 2023, the band has been incredibly busy, steadily releasing new singles. Their latest track, “True Colors,” is a balls-out, riff-heavy breakdown-fest with melodically fiery choruses and hooks that will get listeners banging their heads and singing along. In short, it’s an anthem for these modern times.

You can listen to the track here and watch the official music video here.

When asked about the song’s lyrics and overall theme, Damon commented, “The wise Maya Angelou said, ‘When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.’ This is also true of drug addiction. This disease can wear many faces, and we often choose to ignore the red flags right in front of us. Because of our own struggles, insecurities, or reasons for wanting to drown out the pain, we allow these things to have agency over our actions and our way of life, contributing to the vicious cycle that is so hard to break. It can be easy to blame the vice or behaviors for the misery brought into our lives. ‘True Colors’ also highlights another harsh truth: what you consume and who you believe you are can become your new reality and true self.”

The single will also be part of the band’s upcoming full-length album, Omen, set for release on September 29 under the German independent label Arising Empire. The album will also be available on limited-edition colored vinyl. Interested parties can pre-order the release here.

“Omen is an album that is three years in the making, and we all feel it’s the most significant one in our timeline thus far,” says Tyler, the band’s vocalist, about the upcoming record. “It is, by far, the most difficult one to create, in more ways than one, and one of the most emotional experiences for us. We hope it helps everyone through their time of need the way it did for us.”

For more information and details about Of Virtue, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. You can also check out their official website.