No Cure "I Hope I Die Here" (2024)

 

 Ears perked by Spotify's shuffle of heavy freshness, No Cure's brief 8 track, twenty minute EP I Hope I Die Here has been a curious listen among a sloth of modern aggressive music. Much of it lacking sparks of originality. Hang Me From The Bible Belt, the track that drew me in, fires up this romp of sludgy brutality with a bold mix of Metallica Hardcore and Melodic Death Metal. This feels like a misnomer as the annals of a tired Deathcore swiftly reveal their ugly head on following tracks. Gruff deepened guttural shouts, gritty low-end axe grinding riffs and filthy pig squeals light up the aesthetics among obnoxious angular harmonic pinches and other genre tropes.

It plays out among a reasonably excitable mix of influences, from Hardcore gang-shouts to Metalcore grooves and Slam Death Metal breaks, the record picks up some character in brief moments. No Cure bridge minor stylistic gaps that seem obvious in hindsight. The collaborative nature of this EP may explain its inconsistency in tone as songs sway between engaging constructs and the "race to the bottom" filth of Deathcore. Each track includes another band, presumably of the local music scene.

Sadly, only its opening track won me over. The rest of its heaviness played mostly as a curious throwback to Deathcore records now approaching twenty years old. In contrast, there are signs of promise, moments of light, however it doesn't come to fruition in a flavor I'm looking for right now. To much grime, not enough substance!

Rating: 4/10

Currents "The Death We Seek" (2023)

  

Seeking another record under the emerging Argent Metal label, I've landed with Currents' latest effort. The American outfit play Progressive melodic Metalcore tinged with Deathcore growls in their heavy outbursts. With a Djent adjacent sound, the dense wall of sound production occasionally strike hard, as Industrial synths and electronic oscillators chime in for that violent dystopian Mick Gordan inspired menace.

Ultimately however, The Death We Seek has a far more artistic vision in wait. Swinging between creative curated atmospheres of expressive epic and blunt force strikes of shunting aggression, the band forge a steady listen plunging into darkly places and offering respite to this desolate place the band conjure visions of.

The usual foray of chugging riffs and low end guitars are met with guttural growls and throaty screams. Decent by design, the spark emerges when these sudden shifts into the light arise. Aided by vocalist Brian Wille's soaring cleans, plucky melodies shift its unending intensity into uplifting strides, still chained to an overriding sense of doom.

On one level, the musical foundations seem rather atypical for this particulate niche of modern Metalcore. On another, the thick aesthetic craft and engaging songwriting amounts to a memorable experience. Distinct and consistent across its ten track, I found myself unable to pick favorite tracks, enjoying the record as a single entity. The Death We Seek isn't quite an Argent Metal record but in moments they do incorporate the hardened rhythmic ideals and synthetic aesthetics to great effect. 

Rating: 7/10

Lorna Shore "Pain Remains" (2022)

 

With the huge springboard of viral success from last years To The Hellfire single, Lorna Shore have ample opportunity to stake claim in Metal's legacy with this new full length, Pain Remains. Leaning heavily into their breed of attention grabbing breakdowns, the lush orchestral thematic extremity on display gets smitten by sudden barrages of unmitigated brutality. Opening with a symphonic piece echoing Death Cult Armageddon vibes, its dark fantasy orchestration swiftly falls mercy to sporadic, murderous crashes of cold and cruel aesthetic abuse. Brazen pummels of lightning blast beats and unearthly demonic gutturals intrude, lunging its musicality into blunt, primitive howls. Carnal and crude in nature, its offering are slim past its inception.

And thus a truly interesting elevation of symphonic extremity gets subverted. The mighty, triumphant and mercilessly aggressive union has its fantastical themes abruptly diminished by these unconnected inhuman roars from an unforgiving abyss. Identity is lost as synths are stripped out, so to do melody and rhythm fall wayside to simplistic noise barrages. Seeming worlds apart, the immersive lather of strings, trumpets and horns integral to world building, slips into a void, in favor of brutal tropes.

For this listener, a sense of identity and direction for these songs failed to manifest. Where progressing with musical ascends and crescendos might be expected, all I found was the sudden dissolution of magic in the wake of its breakdowns. This was likely the intent, that all roads lead to their ugly abandon of over the top extremity. For me its a novel trope that undermined everything else. Fortunately its final three part title track ads a little saving grace, the best songwriting on the record where they have an opportunity to shine. But at the end of a grueling slog of intensity, it too wains.

Rating: 4/10

Lorna Shore "...And I Return To Nothingness" (2021)

 

In the coming weeks there will be entries here moaning my pains about the dull, repetitive state of modern Metal. Coincidentally, I decided to finally check out one band garnering a lot of attention within the scene. Lorna Shore have had viral success with their abhorrent demonic breakdown ending To The Hellfire. Bloated by filth, absurd screams and obnoxiously rapid blast beats, the monstrous conclusion was simply an obvious increase of Deathcore extremities that came before it to my ears.

My reluctance to dive deeper has not been without warrant. The breakdowns are the least appealing presence presiding within this EP. Each song finds a couple of breaks to murder tempo, unleash beastly gutturals and assault with nihilistic percussive blasts that sounds like precision machine gun fire. Its execution is exquisite with octane aesthetic however the trendy technique is just flash in the pan for this "Deathcore veteran". When new and novel, its a riveting blast but any meaning seems knee deep.

Fortunately, everything else to my taste. Shades of Blackened Death Metal collide with evil symphonic theatrics in the vein of Orchestral Black Metal, once pioneered by Dimmu Borgir. While I'm name dropping, this record felt like an aggressive succession to Shade Empire's brilliant Arcane Omega. Foul winds blown over fantastical landscapes flirting between devilish darkness and Tolkien like fantasy realms.

The production is sublime, letting a lot of densities dance as its instruments throttle alongside luscious symphonies. The tandem is extreme, hanging in a balance other bands might butcher. Yet they navigate the fantastical landscapes with an aggressive flight that's exhilarating in its stride. Melodies are sweet and adventurous, balancing out extremity and developing theme. Its terrific chemistry backed by great songwriting. I'm left rather excited for their next album, set to drop in a month and a day!

Rating: 5/10

Knocked Loose "A Tear In The Fabric Of Life" (2021)

 

My excitement and appetite for the cutting edge of brutality in the world of Extreme Metal as diminished severely with time. Most bands I encounter seem to be locked in the Post-Deathcore and Djent overlay which tends to recycle the same ideas found at their origins. Alongside a Metalcore backbone, some of that bore is to be found here too with with a shimmering of Mathcore in places also. The reason I mention this is because Knocked Loose have spun that formula into a short and pacey affair of pummeling intensity. On this EP, six tracks blaze through the many tropes and un-original ideas common to the genre on the heels of an adrenaline shot of excitement. Their song structures continually race ahead, leaping from one moment of bludgeoning to the next, leaving you with little time to recover from each metallic blow. Its a fun experience as the chops come quick and fast, rarely looping back and often jumping into sludgy palm muted break downs with barely a moments notice.

The production is stellar, a show of strength, an aesthetic treat of modem engineering that has its instruments frothing with a rage shared by front-man Bryan Garris. Initially I found his shrill, high pitched bark a bit rash but I warmed up to it as his energy fell inline with the unrelenting march of aggression the band set out on with these songs. Not only do the instruments bring intensity, the moments of texture embellished in its discordant riffs take up the pauses for breath with expansive moments of tense atmosphere as on occasion the music blossoms into something more than the meat grinder it initially seems to be. With quite a few spins in the past weeks, A Tear In The Fabric Of Life is a short experience that's delivered much gusto as its rapid approach brings continual waves of excitement that last the initial explosive impression created.

Rating: 6/10

Bring Me The Horizon "This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made For" (2004)

The rattling rustle of loose snare rolls, discordant guitars screeching, a brooding power chord rising and then an eruption of sloppy chugging riffs. It sends this classic record straight into uncomfortable territory as moments later the grip loosens with the hit-hat wafting over the silence between meaty slabs of chunky guitar funk. Enter the raspy scowl of Oli Sykes's divisive and ugly screams and you have the perfect recipe for music to split a crowd, in the context of both mosh pits and musical snobbery. Fortunately I landed on the side able to enjoy this controversial bands gritty sound.

It was at my first Download Festival in 06 that I mistook them for another act on the bill. I was blown away by the novelty of these black emo mop hair cut kids playing the "uber brootal" music. It was also my introduction to hardcore dancing where I quickly learned regular moshing would land you a punch to the face. From then I was hooked and till this day I never felt like anything else Bring Me The Horizon would do matched the unique charm this four track record caries. Its one of those bits of music you get right into every now and then and this latest binge leads me to write!

This Is What The Edge Of Your Seat Was Made For is a youthful riot of angsty rebellion and aimless attitude fit to cut a divide in the Metal scene. Some parts Metalcore, seeking the brutality of Death Metal, this bedroom band puts together a riff montage exploring their own ideas of heavy, hooked on the ugly, odd and obnoxious that you just can't replicate. Its a mindset, a moment in time manifesting into a bizarre riff fest of awkward guitar noise and breakdowns that I simply adore for all its flaws.

Its grey, scrappy aesthetic and trying performance may be sloppy and loose but just hangs in enough to land its ideas and rhythms right on the nose. The grooves land between the barrages of angular guitar noise and Oli's snarling throaty screams sound almost painful at times. It ends up like a charm all too akin to Metal yet constructed from a different ideology. The songwriting however is keenly convenient in this aesthetic as its progressive rollout of guitar riffs, with little repetition, keeps an interesting flow of rough around the edges ideas, landing with enthralling energy.

The last of its four songs ends up on a melodic tangent that derails somewhat from the core concept but within its first three strikes the breakdowns and "brutality" is so much fun. Each song gets its big moment for the crowd to split and go ham. Each song also finds catchy ear-worms to drive home with big shouts around its big breaks. "Nail The Casket One More Time", "I Hate All My Friends", "If You Think You've Alive, Your Better Of Dead". I've never looked deep into these angsty lyrics, written by then teenagers. They do however get riled up with the music in there spite ridden delivery.

Edge Of Your Seat not a record Id be keen to recommend but discovering at such an interesting time, right at the birth of Deathcore's bloom, gave it a personal nostalgic magic I've never been able to shake. It was fun and outrageous then and sixteen years later still has a punch that rarely fails to rustle. Such a peculiar record. No other band I'm aware of, or even BMTH themselves on their debut album managed to capture the spirit to be heard hear. Its an oddity but I absolutely love it!

Rating: 8/10

Ocean Grove "Outsider" (2013)

Having been floored by The Rhapsody Tapes and more so Flip Phone Fantasy, I owed it to the Australian band to go back and investigate their Metalcore roots. Outsider is a short seventeen minute, six track affair of generic scene music with little to distinguish itself in the wake of the Architects take on this sound. A similar intensity takes hold with booming Djent tone guitars fraying up assaults of chunky guitar noise between hazardous throaty screams and a sprinkling of vulnerable clean vocals intended to expressive the emotive side where introspective melodies intervene.

The sound itself has never drew me in however I'll give credit to the band for making it an enjoyable listen. Their performance is capable with a few notable hiccups in its more complex arrangements. Production is solid and in one or two moments they show a little sensibility for groove that might just be early manifestations of their progression as a band into Nu Metal territory. At this point though they are firmly part of the trend and given I was never too keen on it, I don't really know to what extent you'd say this is original or not but at least it makes for a good listen!

Rating: 4/10

Drown In Sulphur "Blackwind" (2019)

Its time to throw myself back to my youth and enjoy some Deathcore! Blastbeats, slams and ludicrous gutturals here we come! Browsing Youtube's endless music videos, the song Blackwind caught my attention, purely for being comically fun and brutal with its stomping onslaught of metallic noise and guitar abuse. The song however has legs and so do the other five tracks that accompany it on this new EP, the groups second. Having had a glimpse over their older releases, it seems the Italian band has stepped up their game after a three year silence from their last single.

Their production has scaled too, despite being unsigned the band have put together a competent sound that doesn't feel flimsy or tacky as some of these kinds of records can do. Instead its the perfect podium for Deathcore aesthetics with its crunchy stomping guitars, regularly delivering textural low notes for the breakdowns. The vocals are meaty, a constant barrage of flat throaty growls, shrill pig squeals and general ridiculousness that hovers above all else. It could be a turn off for most but fits in well given the context. The drums deliver battering barrages of groove, culminating nicely with the guitars that border Djent and yet still find a little flash of color in places.

The songwriting is where Drown In Sulphur may stand apart from others. Its no mastery or revelation but they bring more excitement and freshness with a slight deviance from the norms, never settling on the bog standard approach. It gives almost everything a fraction of spice that occasionally blossoms into a fiery whirl of energy as the constant rolling over of riffs finds a peak in the wandering arrangements. Its free structural form plays big into their hands as repetition could of grinded this record to a halt. Fortunately the balance is fair. After many listens I'm still getting a kick.

Blackwind's best parts tend to be the big concluding riffs towards the end of a track however on a number like Serpenthyne a little bit of Iwrestledabearonce alike mania on the fretwork goes down a treat and so does the reverberated acoustic interlude Sulphur. Essentially, where they deviate most from the basic formula of the genre they succeed and with such a variety driven approach their writing pays off! Nuclear Dawn however fumbles through monochromatic riffs and a mid-track drop of intensity as sections don't quite link. Although I am pretty much done with this type of music, its good to keep an eye out and maybe this band is one to follow in the near future!

Favorite Track: Blackwind

Rating: 6/10

Annotations Of An Autopsy "World Of Sludge" (2019)

Annotations Of An Autopsy... here is a band Id not thought of in some time! They were once the brief obsession of my friendship group back in the boom era of the emerging Deathcore music scene. It was mostly their utterly vile and misogynist lyrics that would grab attention. The music was equally disgusting, an ugly cesspit of pig squeals, Sludge, Death Metal and Slam that doesn't hold up well over a decade later.

I was initially excited upon seeing news of their return with a short five track EP. For some reason I thought the absense might yield a new matured perspective on their former "brutality". Unfortunately its as if they have been kept on ice, unleashing new music almost ignorant to anything that has happened in Extreme Metal over the last ten years. Even clocking in at under twenty minutes its an utter grind to endure.

This is mostly down to one element, the vocals. The instrumentals are competent in performance, dulled in creativity. Its a typical cramming of guitar chugs, snaky tremolo melodies and slam grooves, recycling the same stomp over and over. They chop up the drum measures to shift the pace and create plenty of alternating bounces and slams. None of the five tracks reach anything significant. Even the obvious "big moments" of the track seem to muster little more than a reiteration of the song so far.

At the musics forefront vocalist Regan throws out some meaty guttural shouts with gritty texture but this is where things slip up. His utterly wretched pig squeals sound like a joke. These squeals resemble a squawking crow being strangled to death. They are high pitched, ridiculous, shrill and irritating. Its hard to take seriously and the utterly valueless and immature lyrics drag it further into the gutter. It really dispels what little atmosphere is being mustered and puts a downer on the whole thing.

Rating: 2/10

Hunt The Dinosaur "Dankosaurus" (2019)

Ive been anticipating this one and boy has it delivered! My recent discovery of this comical Extreme Metal outfit through youtube led me to their reasonable self titled EP. Five years on the group flourish on their promise with a refined approach to the music that is both fun, brutal, ridiculous and absurd. Their sound is a monstrosity in itself, a post-Deathcore Djent hybrid focused on unhinged and unconventional grooves, subverting expectations and further abstracting already outlandish ideas.

Its utterly ridiculous lyricism extends into the music as many Djent riffing styles and Deathcore Breakdowns are blown out of proportion to an amusing degree of delight. Its a well produced album with utterly slamming low end guitar texture and crisp punching drums that rock ear bleeding riffs alongside the mammoth screams and guttural howls. Its ultra slick union signifies a real intent to push these ideas further down the gutter and its fair to say they pull it off with an absolute roaring flair.

Vocalist Hunter Madison's raspy scream raps are an utter delight, totally deranged and unique, he sounds dangerously manic, unleashing throaty raps that hurl themselves at the listener. Its a textural treat of aesthetic and rapid flow but lyrically its a bankrupt self indulgence of excesses expressed through blunt and filthy language that has me thinking he may just be deadly serious at time. The record kicks off holding back the rap aspect and as the songs roll on we get more and more of it.

The instrumentals don't budge from the brutal formula. Sporadic use of screeching guitar noise and jarring electronics keep it flavorful and exciting but Hunter's rhymes seem to come across more and more like a mumble rapper words. Simplistic lyricism and excessive vulgarity, drug abuse and misogyny dominate the songs in the back end. As a comical parody they are amusing but as a serious earnest expression its somewhat foul. Despite that one hiccup based on my personal preference this is a solid debut from a band who are backing attention grabbing ideas with solid music.

Rating: 7/10

Hunt The Dinosaur "Hunt The Dinosaur" (2014)

Ive had quite the chuckle with this little EP. These Texans have a new record looming around the corner, so I thought id warm myself up with this debut record. Hunt The Dinosaur are a not-so-serious Deathcore Djent band who will make little waves in the scene thanks to front man Hunter Madison's extraordinary guttural scream raps. It sounds unique, a fast flail of snarly, throaty gasps hurled at an impressive speed. Its toned, textural and well executed. His arsenal of other screaming styles are fully competent for the music too. If one strong influence comes to mind It is probably Corey Taylor of Slipknot who is known for blending rap rhythms into his screams.

The music behind is an impressive pull of self-awareness and comical in jokes. The tropes of breakdowns and excessive down tuned guitar tones are deployed in humorous extremes that do a fantastic job of balancing groove and landing an impact with its mocking nature. The lyrical depth also feels like a mockery, shallow topics are bolstered by plain and frank language that punctuates its bluntness in sync with the music, dropping its most abysmal lyrics at fitting times. Initially it musters a smirk but becomes rather monotonous as the joke grows old in its simplicity.

The big problem is the imposed limitations of a project that isn't to be taken seriously. In the right mood it will give you a smile but of the several listens Ive endured its joke tires quickly and the songs turn into a mechanical slog dragging their way towards little spurts of genuine interest that each song has in the form of a riff, screamed rap or punch line. Its been fun, a barrel of laughs to enjoy with friends and I look forward to their new album however I am hoping they can deploy some more substance with the music as a fair fraction of this record is rather lifeless beyond the gag.

Rating: 4/10

Job For A Cowboy "Doom" (2005)

As the years pass by my memories of the Deathcore scene's days grow fonder. My recent addiction to Job For A Cowboy's classic Entombment Of A Machine has reminded me of just how much fun we had when the scene blew up. We got to watch all the new bands fly in from the states and it was wondeful. Although my introduction to the music was through Bring Me The Horizon (IIRC), this EP from the American group was where it all started, spawning many imitation bands in the wake of its unusual popularity and new style. Make no mistake, Entombment is an ugly song! Harsh and abrasive, its shrill pig squeals would challenge fans of guttural vocals yet somehow this Extreme Metal song spread like wildfire through the Myspace music scene, it would give them the exposure to land their debut album Genesis in a billboard chart two years later.

Its probably been a decade since I last listened to Doom in its twenty seven minute entirety. I believe the copy I own now has an extra track I had not heard before, which was a pleasant surprise as I remember all the other tracks like a day had not passed. The bonus song Entities leans more so in the direction of a fundamental Death Metal song towards its end, sharper blast beats, tighter riffing, a flashy guitar solo and only one pig squeal? Its a subtle indication of their next direction as a band, to rid themselves of the Hardcore influence and go strictly Death Metal on their full length debut album.

 The other five songs, minus the cinematic intro, are a riot of violence, a vile thrashing of dense guitars as snarling screams and guttural roars are all channeled into abstracted moments of groove that underpin the musics harsh, unforgiving aesthetic. The songs often drifts through brief passageways of ugly, bitter chaotic sounds in the wake of pinch harmonics and loose, rattling blast beats. These moments are swiftly transformed as the record's tracks all revolve around a philosophy of continual evolution. The ugliest moments are quickly transformed and transcended as gear shifts chop up the pace and allow slamming grooves to erupt, as the classic Entombment does so well.

The vocals are a big point of contention that could easily turn a listener off, the pig squeals are blunt and piercing. They jump into the music with little more than rhythmic sequencing as "bree bree" and "squee squee" clearly offers no lyrical content. I personally find it hilarious, between the swings of gritty shredding and slamming grooves the eruption of unwieldy squeals is an amusing testament to the nature of the music itself, a joke. That's not an insult but a means to say the music is clearly aware of its own deliberate abrasion and boisterous persona.

Everything must be taken with a pinch of salt, the ugly, challenging aesthetic is manipulated to extract the groove and excitement in music from the most devious of places. That is what is genius about extreme music and here Job For A Cowboy brandish a new fusion of ideas that would go on to spawn a whole new wave of Extreme Metal that would upset the old guard and stir controversy within the community that at the end of the day is a waste to even care about. Enjoy music if you can but don't spend your energy on hating it. Doom is fun, a really exhilarating listen full of obnoxious extremity.

Favorite Track: Entombment Of A Machine

Rating: 7/10

Cane Hill "Gone To Far" (2018)

Labelled by some as Nu Metal, New Orleans based Cane Hill represent a handful of bands who in recent years have been resurrecting some of the principles and aesthetics from the millennium era music which has been subject to much mockery and hate within the Metal community. To my ears Cane Hill come forth on this sophomore record as a group still figuring out their identity, yet writing fun and cohesive music, wearing their influences proudly for all to see. They bring the best guitar work from Metalcore, Groove Metal and Nu Metal. It collides in a whirl of excitement with a spark of Industrial Metal in the noisy, full on wall of sound, giving these tunes a weighty clout of forceful metallic power with a dense aesthetic.

On first listen singer Elijah Witt makes a very distinctive performance with a variety of approaches to his presence that bares sometime uncanny resemblances to other Metal singers, his range can throw out fiery screams of vengeance to soaring, soft, soothing Chino alike "ohh"s on "Singing In The Swamp". The prior track "Lord Of Lies" chorus sounding like its pulled straight from the Masatdon catalog as his voice elevates the bouncy groove that rumbles and crunches away beneath. Echos of Corey Taylor can be heard but most noticeably Chad Gray of Mudvayne frequently dominating the tone of singing. The slower, crushing moody track "Erased" sounds completely akin to Cray's style in both the unleashing screams and introspective clean moments.

Its no criticism, Elijah has a wonderful talent that's perfectly complimentary to the instrumentals. Being a fan of these bands the record became immediately inviting and appealing. Behind him the chemistry is tight, shuffling bombastic grooves drive the music from the driving seat of drummer Devin Clark who has a knack for finding the right intensity to direct the atmosphere. The guitar work explores all the tropes of the aforementioned genres, slamming in with big chords, chugging gritty grooves and plenty of greasy guitar dissonance with the splicing of harmonics and squeals. The occasional break downs echo some Deathcore ideals but the eruption of racy, dexterous guitar solos keep the music feeling like it can go anywhere and not hedge itself in to one particular vision.

At thirty five minutes with a ripe pallet of ten energetic songs, Gone To Far is an impressive release that shows a ton of promise for the group. I would be somewhat critical to say there is a lack originality or something definitively new about their music but the ability to bring together the best of Metal's most criticized era and make lively music, brimming with excitement, is something to behold. Depending on what the group go on to do next, this could be seen as either a high point, or just an old record that proved they always had it. Definitely going to be keeping up with this band in the future!

Favorite Tracks: Erased, Why?, It Follows

Rating: 7/10

Winds Of Plague "Blood Of My Enemy" (2017)

I checked out from this band pretty much immediately after their attention grabbing debut album had worn out its attention span. After a shoddy demo record the group got signed to Century Media and bolstered the symphonic aspect to their sound, setting them aside from other Deathcore bands at the time. Crunching breakdowns, filthy screams and empiric symphonies collided to form a cheap and flashy sound that would have you for a few listens. Over the years they have become a mockery to critics and this newest release will probably be no exception. Bar founding singer Johnny Plague, a complete line up change could of given the band a chance to evolve but its business as usual, the same music they were making a decade ago.

Blood Of My Enemy isn't awful but its constantly swirling in mediocrity where moments of chemistry found between the tight chugging guitar and rich orchestral synths are continually dispelled by the arrival of Johnny's tone deaf vocals and impact-less gang shouts. Its a solid sounding record where the modern production gives room for the instrumentals to vibe easily in their audibility. Crisp, snappy drums drive the rounded guitars which deploy a variety of riffing styles stretching from choppy thrashing, to mid tempos grooves and slower chord led passageways. The synths bring cultural echos and atmosphere fit for epic battles as they stitch in sounds around the guitars direction, occasionally coming with Gothic tones that accent and expand the sound otherwise not heard.

On there own we would have a reasonable record but like with their debut there is something about Johnny Plague I just don't vibe with. His scream is always fretting on the same anger with a lack of range or inventiveness in his delivery. A lot of shifts and turns hinge around his break out screams and gang shouts which continuously dispel any charm the instrumentals where building. His lyrical style focuses entirely around the "life is war", "stand your ground" hardened mindset heard in Hardcore music but the constant grotesque swearing and obsession with pairing it to actual war leads it into the unfortunate territory of "cringe" lyrics given his committal to lines like "I will give my life on the battlefield, drowning in the blood of my enemies". Simplistic language, a lack of depth and turning the same idea over and over tires instantly.

There is merit in the instrumentals but the whole vocal aspect is awful. A guest feature on the title track shows how much better this could be with someone else, I believe the voice is Courtney LaPlante formerly of Iwrestledabearonce who elevates the song. This record is massively hindered by its lead member, who is employing the same ideas that faded away ten years ago. There's more shuffled and rearranged breakdowns running on empty, sounding flat and lackluster when they jump into a song. Poor record, doubting I will be back again.

Rating: 3/10

Humanity's Last Breath "Detestor" (2016)

Their name alone gives you an insight to the punishment awaiting. Hailing from Sweden this five-piece outfit push metallic bludgeoning to new insidious lows with a name to stick like a thorn in your mind. It captivates fatality with a simple expression, no need for any repulsive or repugnant language as so many extreme bands go for. The music too will also set them aside from the competition with what Id describe as approaching upon an inevitable "Post-Deathcore", stripping out the worst tropes from the sound and pushing whats left further down the rabbit hole of ruthless pummeling noise abuse.

The five songs that make up this short release do wonders in the immediacy. Deep rumbling guttural vocals, roaring with intensity over disgustingly down tuned monstrous guitar tones making a textural treat of punishing aesthetics to wallow in as the erratic interpolation of split second harmonic squeals and bleeding screeches will have one dizzying in despair. Its technically impressive and proficient but loaded with a dose of groove if you enjoy hearing open string chugs fretted violently in tandem with the swing and sway of grizzly drums, pounding with a vision of utter brutality.

In the long run less of this Djentmare, see what I did there? "Djent" plus "nightmare", sticks in the mind. For all its punishing heavy and sporadic violence, little melody or purpose beyond the obvious emerges. The individual grooves, riffs and guitar work become a shadow of the overall beast. Impressive in its moment but not lasting. In the days Ive been enjoying this, I can't recall a riff jumping back at me or something being lodged in the mind. Instead a couple of impressive ideas leave a mark, like the title track that drops in a wretched, harrowing, shrill scream behind a macabre "break down" of sorts. The scream gives a real sense of a human soul shocked to the core.

The guitars with their mammoth textural tones, gritty, loose and sludgy are so well preformed they are paradoxically tight, sharp and precise too. They make a strong impression whereas the vocals feel commonplace, atypical screams and timings. The drums are very accommodating of the other instruments, always syncopating and doing little to be in the forefront bar the occasional foray into blast beats. Its a bitter sweet record, enjoyable now but not lasting. This band have serious potential but are limiting themselves with the conventions of Extreme Metal and Deathcore.

Rating: 4/10

The Acacia Strain "Gravebloom" (2017)

Way back when in the days of the burgeoning Deathcore scene, Massachusetts outfit "The Acacia Strain" gained waves of popularity with their 2008 release "Continent". They were previously a rather uninteresting Metalcore outfit, their atypical sound slowly evolved into a Djenty Metalcore Deathcore hybrid. At that point longtime vocalist Vincent Bennet found his style, a blunt tonal scream on this record which has become a staple of their sound and now he is the only remaining original member in the band. I haven't heard from them in about seven years despite still actively releasing records and touring.

"Gravebloom" Is immediately identifiable as their sound however listening to the older records retrospectively you realize how far along the fidelity of record production has come in ten years. Their guitar tone is now the apex of what they have always strived for. Big and chunky, bouncy dense blocks of tonal distortion to groove and bludgeon with. It sounds gorgeous, very Djent with the flexibility for discordant palm mute chugging and chord plucking which you get a plentiful variety of across the eleven pummeling tracks that make up the forty eight minutes of churning brutality.

Not all of the run-time is dedicated to the metallic onslaught, the band have a keen ear for atmosphere with occasional foreboding, unsettling atmospheric breaks where more obvious melodies are plucked on the high notes over brutal syncopation that's slowed down to a menacing, avenging crawl. These breaks in pace keep the interest amounting on a crisp and lively sounding record. Vincent is as sharp as ever, his flat, blunt forceful shouts very audible and present and even some of his lyrics have stuck in my mind "Mentally slipping, physically drifting", an oddity given my difficulty with lyrics.

There is little to fault here, its a finely tuned record making the most of modern recording techniques. All the instruments cohesively come together, the drums especially punchy, bold and present with complimenting tones that fit snugly into the wall of sound. The album starts of strong with its faster, mosh friendly numbers and slowly evolves to its more atmospheric side, the last three tracks slowing down their pace significantly. There's no bones to pick here other than a lack of something special. Its a sold, decent record but there is nothing at work here to smash your expectations or suprise.

Rating: 6/10

Code Orange "Forever" (2017)

Previously know as "Code Orange Kids", this brutal Pittsburgh five piece outfit throw down with bloody fists. "Forever" is the groups third and my first. On my radar for a while I only got around to them just before Download Festival when I realized I would get the opportunity to see them. Ive since binged on the brutality and grown to adore this gritty, blunt, meat grinding band who blew me away with their gnarly, intense live performance. This record is a contender for the years heaviest.

With the first few listens my point of reference was strangely enough Deathcore. The reality is its far from, the consistent bludgeoning, chugging and breakdowns mirror that of the aforementioned. The difference its the trope, where techniques and sections once became calculated, predictable and formulaic as hoards of bands rode the wave, the band turn ideas on there side and reinvent the punishment due. Beatdowns are etched in unconventional time patterns, the entry and exit points dislocated. The commonality seems at the constant mercy of the cryptic overbearing hand that twists, slices and distorts the music to its whim. You can expect the building momentum to steer along a new path, the chug to churn a few extra bars or the music to seemingly drop out mid riff to an industrious synth. Amidst the convention this force often hides in the lurking dissonance of eerie guitar distortions or in the refuge of gritty, dense, biting synths that push their way to the forefront.

The band present two sides on this record. Cruel, violent, savagery in their metallic head thrashing numbers and with "Bleeding In The Blur" and "Ugly", refrained tunes one can sing along to. The intensity remains but the punch line comes from tuneful, if not still fiery, guitar riffs that have a more emotional, personal context, tinged with a whiff of Grunge. "The Mud" would serve as a midway point where this other style seems at the mercy of the tempered hand that cuts out the singing mid tempo, plunging it underwater to drown in the unsettling synth phase that replaces if, before splicing into a seemingly more conventional chug, discord, chug, discord riff that's been tortured to deface its usual structure.

The albums aesthetics are another knife edge of brutality. Tonal, thick, dense and cutting guitars bring a metallic texture to Hardcore performing. The drums fire away with a powerful, thudding kick drum and punching snare to cut through to the front. The cymbals are a little downplayed and under them rumbles the enormous bass guitar with a dense gritty, noisy texture that can get behind the rhythm guitar or step up to the front with a menacing prowl. Vocal duties are shared three of the five and the variety adds to the chaos. Reba Meyers voice however has an emotional energy which really elevates, could of done with more of her however it suits the other direction the band can steer in, leaving one wondering how good an album strictly in that stance could be.

"Forever" is a wild and powerful ride at a fast twenty eight minutes, leaving no room for filler or distraction and right to the point record. The mysterious nature of abrupt interruptions and their disjointed relations make me wonder if something more archetypal is at work. In my current state of awe towards such a devastatingly aggressive record Its hard to see its flaws. My main thought is simply how will this hold up over time? I suspect the shock and awe could dull a little over time but right now its unexpectedness is winning me over when i have the appetite for audio punishment.

 Favorite Tracks: Real, Bleeding The Blur, The New Reality, Ugly, No One Is Untouchable

Rating: 7/10

She Must Burn "Under The Shadows" (2015)

She Must Burn are a six-piece English Extreme Metal group from London who I caught at Download Festival this year. They put on a great show and their style of music is very palatable to my ears, fusing the symphonic styles of Black Metal with the rhythmic bludgeoning intensity of Deathcore, everything about their sound was very digestible to someone who has listened to a lot of the two genres they unite. I'm not sure why it didn't come to mind sooner but early Abigail Williams would be a comparable force, however She Must Burn have time on their side, the years gone by have allowed them to draw from the better qualities of the once cliched Deathcore scene to their aid.

 For a relatively small band the albums production is top quality. Their sound is stacked as layers of synth are wedged between octane rattling drums, raspy tonal screams and thick, dense and choppy guitars that rip pummeling grooves with a high noise gate with a Djent like tone and rhythm. They buzz and whirl away under cinematic strings and serine keys that play romantic, majestic melodies. The two work off one another, like the light and dark, often shifting onto the same path for climactic moments. The keyboardist chips in with female vocals to give the music a more melodic front, her technique very pop alike but the tone just right for something a little darker. It plays up the fantastic symphonic elements that illuminate the music. The lead vocalist has quite a range, from bludgeoning growls to shrill, coarse screams. As the record grows he expands with a character similar to Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon, the screams turn half shouted and the lyrics become a lot more self centered and social.

The songs play through the typical motions of dizzying riffs and frenetic blast beats that the keys give direction, structure and theme to. Without them I'm not sure quite how they would sound, even the most intense and impressive licks get their spark from the symphonic overtone. All these songs pack a lot into the mix, not relying on repetitive song structures and forging genuinely impressive music that shows nothing but promise for them moving forward.

Favorite Tracks: Possessed, The Misery

Rating: 6/10

Emmure "Look At Yourself" (2017)

Its been a while since I last checked in with Emmure, often labeled as Deathcore they are mostly characterized by their obvious Nu Metal influences and a tonal "over the top" approach to the aesthetics of their sound. I personally never brought into them much beyond a handful of songs but talk of a return to form and complete lineup change, bar front man Frankie Palmeri, had my curiosity sparked. Three years since the bands last full length this new lineup has held everything that made this band what they are intact, while as always trying to turn the dial up another notch.

With a spew of short songs that barely grace the three minute mark, Emmure go full throttle through a barrage of dirty, disgusting noise eccentric riffs that bombard the listener with a constant assault of short elasticated grooves, pummeling hard on the Djent tone, accommodated by brutal drums and Frankie's fiery screams that fill the ranges as they peak the microphone for an intensive effect.

None of these songs have a sense of grandeur, theme or purpose. Instead they stride from one idea to the next, throwing just about every arrangement of two note beat down riffs at the mercy of whatever noise they can manipulate from the guitars and electronics. Sometimes these take shape like the creepy, eerie melodies reminiscent of Korn, mostly they sound unique as dystopian airy synths grace the space in the silence of the guitars which themselves make a considerable effort to throw in bends, harmonics and other oddities in the mix.

Aesthetically it comes off well, a hard hitting mix of throttling eccentricity with groove and attitude to match. On the flip side the short nature of the music and lack of coherence beyond a riff fest left the songs feeling lackluster. The constant thundering of overly loud guitar tones and heavily compressed production with no direction in sight took the wind out the aesthetics sails for me. Despite many particularly interesting ideas and oddities of noise they fall flat on a lack of direction and amount to nothing interesting beyond one or two listens.

Favorite Tracks: Russian Hotel Aftermath, Turtle In A Hare Machine

Rating: 4/10

Suicide Silence "Suicide Silence" (2017)

American Deathcore kings Suicide Silence tragically lost their iconic frontman Mitch Lurker back in 2012, his distinct screams and lively stage persona was a defining aspect of the bands identity. The choice to continue on without him would pave for difficult times as the impossible task of replacing Mitch would unsurprisingly cause mixed reactions among fans. 2014's "You Can't Stop Me" featured new vocalist Eddie Hermida and was no stylistic departure but for an old fan of Deathcore it was quite a forgettable record.

Using the self titled card, the band have set out to redefine their sound, much to the disappointment of a quite frankly ludicrous reaction from their "fans". A petition to stop the band releasing this record actually gained traction and signatures within the music community, something Ive never heard of before and is quiet insulting to the band who should never be told what to do with their art. That must be even harder to taste when it comes from within your own fan base. Metal music has always taken quite the beating from the outside world but this is unprecedented.

History and controversy aside this new direction is far from awful but not flattering of these musicians. If I could summarize, Its as if I'm listening to a demo that's got a lot of potential, the elements, ideas and inspiration is all there but it comes together a little flat. So what sort of direction have they taken? Nu-Metal, an instant nose up for some people but its a little misleading, the band have aimed for the more artistic side, were bands like Korn and Slipknot where creating atmospheres of frustration and despair in the creepy moments riddled between bombastic dropped tuning riffs.

Suicide Silence have stripped back that frontal, riff eccentric approach to their sound and although It can still be heard a little in tone, the metallic riffs play second fiddle to noisy dissonance and reverb buried chord picking that has cagey drums and Eddie's unhinged singing forming a fiery emotional atmosphere. It sets the stage for off note, loose and unrestricted ideas to emerge in a constantly tumbling of deranged ideas. Many of which are quite imaginative and of their own identity, although others are distinctly like bands of that bygone era.

Unfortunately these ideas come together with a lack of structure or direction. The bands age would suggest they grew up in the Nu Metal generation and it is great to see they have picked out the lesser explored ideas of that era to go forward with but turning that influence into good songs has not come to fruition. Nothing is bad or awful, in fact there are a lot of intricate, unusual, interesting sounds at work and Eddie's performances are very emotional and grabbing. It just doesn't come together well. No song here creates something powerful as a whole. Even its best riffs fall flat into songs that don't progress with a direction to make anything remarkable of its contents.

Rating: 4/10