Naturally my enjoyable experience with Voyager had me curious for more. Clicking play on Hellscape, I immediately knew what would be next on the playlist. Kicking of with Havoc, the album blasts off with a banger of bouncy low end djent riffs and siren synths painting the hellscape its title suggests. The album art too hints at whats in store, as this particular approach to Metal with a heavy dose of dystopian Industrial synths is in tribute to composer Mick Gordan and his atmosphere defining Doom Eternal soundtrack, which aesthetically caved itself a niche in the Metal universe.
Sadly, others replicating this fusion of textural guitar barrages and hellish saw synths on overdrive tends to be hit and miss. Opening with its best track by some distance, Havoc embodies the best of this aesthetic. For the album experience Hellscape feels constrained by the narrowing options sticking to such a temperament imposes. Unable to escape the drive of eight string might and gravity warping synths, its flushes of string symphony always tied down to the monstrous weight of its dark demonic roots.
Subtle club drum grooves and nightly Synthwave vibes emerge on the journey. scenic guitar melodies expand horizons but the climax always falls back to the chug riffs and evil slam of the synths. As the album draws on, I'm reminded of Skrillex and the Dubstep drop fad, as the machinations of these two seem to get progressively more random and obnoxious in search of new grounds it never quite lands upon.
Only briefly on a couple of occasions does the intensity let up for some atmosphere. The respite serves it well but as the demonic onslaught marches on, it becomes clear this is a tribute to the game. It feels like a compliment to the Doom experience, the unrelenting tensions and onset of dread as demonic hordes descend feels intentional. Hellscape is a love letter to the style from a very competent musician and producer. Unfortunately for me, the style doesn't quite amount to more than the sum of its parts.
Rating: 6/10