Eternal Lord "Demo" (2007)

This two track demo is the turning point for the Deathcore five-piece band, Eternal Lord, who released a stunning debut EP, both unique in character and crushingly heavy, its been a gem to me for years. I decided to follow up on the rest of their discography which consists of this demo and an album which was so disappointing on first listen I never gave it a chance. With Rickett out in favor of Edward Butcher on vocals the band make a big stylistic shift for the worse. Butcher's vocals aren't half bad or even the problem, the group seemed to have shifted away from their once distinct breed of Deathcore to a generic, unexciting and atypical sound for the scene which is simply tiring and dated.

This two track demo is studio quality however its a total chug fest of palm muted open string riffs and generic breakdowns which pass through one ear and out the other. There is practically nothing more for me to say, its not terrible, or unlistenable but if you were to write the key characteristics of Deathcore on paper you would get this demo. There is no charm, unique flavor or twist in sight, its bog standered and boring. Perhaps their is an echo of their style in the occasional metal core riff and drumming break but they are smothered by the generic flood of mediocrity.

Rating: 2/10

Azriel "Split With Eternal Lord" (2006)

Having covered the Eternal Lord tracks in this split release, I thought it would be a good idea to check out the Azriel tracks too. What a treacherous idea that would turn out to be. Scottish five piece band "Azriel" play with fractured melodic leads and Deathcore breakdowns spliced into their formulaic Metalcore style. It comes with an overtone of Screamo given the vocal style and gang shouts. I remember not being keen on it ten years ago and now as more diverse listener I thought this might change but alas I had to endure this one a few more times.

Lets be fair, this isn't terrible but some distinct characteristics rub me the wrong way and being dead bored of Deathcore the insentient open chord, palm muted break downs were dull and tiring. Between them slow leads would add a tinge of color and some interesting riffs would crop up with decent chemistry between the chords and leads but these would be quickly dispelled by needless "heavy" moments in favor of song progression. The production however is pretty solid for a low key release.

Above it all the groups vocalist slays me. His delivery is throaty, thin and lacks any oomph or power. Its whiny and "cringey" for lack of a less judgemental word. If not irritated by his presence the group shouts just make matters worse, loose and without out force they seem in complete contrast to the lyrics. "Nothing can stop us now", "Its only a matter of time before your true form is revealed", "Go get your guns". A lot of the lyrics revolve around struggle and self power yet the unity with style is absent to my ears. Not my cup of tea.

Rating: 1/10

Eternal Lord "Split With Azriel" (2006)

Having written about Eternal Lord's self titled debut, I was reminded of their follow up split record with English Metalcore outfit "Azriel", released the same year. Foolishly I never gave it much of a listen at the time and for this blog we are going to focus on the two of four songs this band contributed to the record. Its a step up in production fidelity and a few things become apparent quickly. Vocalist Rickett sounds far deeper, lower, looser in delivery but with the same tonal distinctions. The group also incorporate symphonic sounds, piano and strings, into their second track, much in the vein of Symphonic Black Metal. Very reminiscent of what Abigail Williams would do in the years to come, however the metallic instruments remained rooted in their Metalcore origins.

"Destiny" is the first of two and wouldn't sound out of place on their debut. The productions fidelity removes the organic, sludgy feel they once had and showcases the technical prowess of the riffing. For this it shows its Metalcore side more and when the breakdown hits it sounds far more generic without the sludgy, looser production to give it charm. On the flip side the tighter sound gives the guitars more room to express themselves and the drums blitz away through a clicky ecstasy.

"The Harp And Hellfire" is the ambitious track. Its piano led symphonic intro and light use of strings work well with the momentous nature of the opening riffs. Surprisingly the sounds mix, however the dark symphony is at first paired with drawn out power chords and a tremolo riff accompanied by blast beats. Very akin to Black Metal but swiftly the song finds its break back to the Metalcore vein. Another reasonable breakdown is followed unexpectedly a guitar solo with light strings. The song then reaches a climax with a groove, repeating over and over, steadily fading out to let a matching symphony overtake and see off the record.

This transition is an interesting one as the band effortlessly incorporated a different sound without compromising their own. However on closer examination the shifts between styles are rigid and obvious, yet it feels completely organic in the moment. This may have been their calling but unfortunately this period was short lived with a big stylistic shift in their 2007 demo.

Favorite Song: The Harp And Hellfire

Rating: 4/10

Eternal Lord "Eternal Lord" (2006)

I've been looking forward to the day Id talk about this short five track EP since I first started this blog! Eternal Lord are a short lived English Deathcore band who dropped this self titled in the prime of the scenes uprising. Its a real gem, one that never gets old for me and unfortunately rapid line up changes and shifts in sound meant they would never revisit the unusual breed of metal they conjured up in the twenty minutes the record lasts. The band would release a split record with Azirel in a similar vein but their first full length left much to be desired and so led to the band splitting in 2009.

The record opens up with "Upon Thy Icy Waves" and its Deathcore style isn't immediately apparent. Sludgy, slightly dissonant guitars chug and churn under a rattling drum kit and in the chords a strange tinge of harmony protrudes. As the song progresses through a drum solo into its first phase the snarling throaty screams drop in with a covering range of texture, raspy and loose. Under them the guitars hammer out atypical Metalcore riffs, melodies spliced between muted open strings, yet despite the similar technique a distinct and unique sound is very apparent. It progresses through the motions and ends with some bright a colorful leads to climax the song.

 At many intervals in these songs the band tread into the breakdown territory with sometimes bold and obvious approaches, letting the steady china cymbal bridge the space between the occasionally chugged guitars and the beastly vocal growls. In other moments the band have the sensibility to hold back the obvious nature of the breakdown and simply remove a few elements from the currently played guitar riff and amplify the groove on the drum kit. Its fantastic, giving constant refreshment of head banging energy to the flow of these songs which never let up on intensity.

In an untypical fashion for the genre, the band sounds somewhat mystic and a little drawn to some of the grander epic themes found in majestic Black Metal. Its a very indirect subtlety but the guitars have a darker charm to them and vocalist Rickett through his slack and gruff delivery enhances a nature vibe with animistic and beastly vocals that sound like a fantasy creature of the night. The song titles would also indicate these themes may have been an intention, rather than something I've found for myself, however some tremolo riffs wouldn't sound out of place on a Black Metal record.

 Aesthetically the production is a touch raw and blunt within reason. The drums batter and clatter away with a cutting intensity in the mix, the pedals have a rather clicking presence. The cymbals have a rather stark and crashing existence in the mix. Along with the loud and "in the front" mixing of the vocals the bass gets a little lost behind the guitars with their own serpentine texture, often enhanced by the syncopation with the pedals. All five tracks are distinct and firing on all cylinders with no weak spots, maybe room for preference or favoritism. Its been around ten years and it still sounds fantastic. A very overlooked record that I think particular types of Metalheads would get a real kick from. I'm kicking myself though as I never got to see them perform live.

Favorite Songs: Fields And Failure, Deeds To The Throne

Rating: 8/10

August Burns Red "Found In Far Away Places" (2015)

 August Burns Red are an American Metalcore five-piece band from Pennsylvania USA who have gained considerable momentum and praise in recent years among the various Metal scenes. The band formed out of high school in 2003 and have been consistently releasing records and developing their sound since 2006 of which this is their sixth full length release. I'll admit from the get go that I've not been in the mood for Metalcore but I couldn't deny the level of quality this record produced.

Working with the finest production the band has received yet we have an inspired and crafted record where the two guitarists make a mark with an endless flow of tight, chompy groove riffs and energetic rhythms interchanging with dynamic leads that guide the songs. There's many techniques, approaches and ideas at work in the rhythm guitar and they meld effortlessly with the leads that constantly light the path with a fluid energy and enigmatic tone that doesn't falter, continually progressing the music from one step to the next.

Breaking up the heavy and sometimes relentless aggression comes in some acoustic, folk moments that have a tinge of Kentucky about them, reminding me of Panopticon's "Roads To The North". At times the music subtly transitions into these calmer moments with gentle guitar leads and jiving base. In others can be rigid and hard cut but always sounding fantastic, adding an effortless dimension that's quite bipolar compared to the anger fueled chugging moments, yet we can be led so easily between the two. In those generic breakdown moments the band do a fantastic job defining there own style with tight choppy grooves that don't stray to far from the winning formula.

The guitar work stole the show, and beside them big bold baselines and brutally precise drums hammered away reinforcing the tightly woven aggression they led. I couldn't say too much for the vocals, I didn't find the tone and delivery anything special, but there was no harm done it was just a adequate performance that didn't have a spark. At the same time the Metalcore vocal style has never been a favorite of mine. Its a brilliant record from a band maturing well in their peak.

Rating: 6/10

Iwrestledabearonce "Hail Mary" (2015)

I'll be blunt, I went to skim over this record with low expectations. I skipped straight to the middle of the first track and the hooks sunk in immediately. Astonished and blown away, I had to double take, Is this really Iwrestledabearonce? To be fair it was their sound, the maniacal over the top noise shredding was present but this was a focused assault vehicle of grooving brutality breaking the speed limit. Iwrestledabearonce came out of the naughties Deathcore scene as a directionless mismatch of genre mashing thrown together with a thick slice of cheese. They produced a fantastic hit with "Tastes like kevin bacon" but from the get go showed a lack of vision and came across as a group simply in the moment, mixing ideas and bipolar sounds together while not taking themselves or the music seriously.

Fast forward to 2015 and the band have been through some lineup changes across the last six records and most noticeably the replacement of their singer with another female vocalist who drops in the occasional strong clean vocals and sounded very familiar to her predecessor, although its been some time since I'd last listened to this band. Initially the aesthetic change didn't feel that drastic with this record but going back over their previous releases the change is massive and the most distinguished characteristic that survived is the frantic noise oriented guitar shredding, no doubt the result of the only surviving member lead guitarist Steven Bradly.

"Hail Mary" opens up with the fade in of chaotic noise shredding before throwing us in the deep end with tight, choppy rhythmic drum blasting and discordant riffs, steadily transitioning into a bouncy groove riff that sets the tone for a vigorous session of furious noise militia hurtling toward the listener with plenty of coordinated grooves and mosher riffs in the design. Its these break out moments that give the record continuity and refreshment that makes the textural onslaught manageable alongside these head banger moments. The consistency runs from start to end with every track delivering something unique and interesting in comparison to one another, its a fruitful offering of which listen after listen is yet to tire on me. 

Breaking down the groups sound it becomes apparent it revolves around the guitars almost exclusively, with drums providing an accompanying punishing strike and singer LaPlante's screams becoming an inoffensive layer of rhythmic noise through her discernible screams. On "Wade In The Water" some strong electronic noises surface through which makes one wonder how much of the crazy frenetic noises are made with the guitar. Either way the textures are delightful on the riff fest that plays up tireless bizarre guitar squeaks and squeals at lightning pace between modern metallic riffage ranging a broader spectrum of grooves and styles that come into play between the colorful chaos.

Initially I felt the clean vocals were a little unnecessary, but after countless plays they have crafted some of the records best moments with LaPlante's best coming from her strong harmonious leads. My excitement for this record still hasn't died down after many listens and I have very little to criticize. This was a refreshing metal record of the "Math Metal" variety that doesn't let up, however the production despite being a modern craft of audacity doesn't quite sparkle as much as some other records Ive heard this year. A big surprise and if they can improve on this record then the future is very bright for them. This has definitely left me in anticipation of the next release.

Rating: 8/10

Commissioner "What Is Commissioner" (2011)

What is Commissioner? That's a reasonable question to ask, but unfortunately the answer is far from. Commissioner is a noisy hash of genre crossing ideas that could of had some chemistry if it wasn't for a horrid execution and lack of emotion. I found this record when researching Suicide Silence's "You Can't Stop Me" record released last year. It was their first without singer Mitch Lurker who participated in this project before his death in 2012. The project is a collaboration with California based producer "Big Chocolate", the man behind "Disfiguring The Goddess" and you can hear a lot of that blunt force trauma vocal production style on this short record.

In an attempt to crossover Deathcore and Dubstep the two create a sour lifeless curdling of blistering noise that lacks any excitement. A continual barrage of wordless, deafening screams play out over a colorless mix of electronics and guitars. The slightly djenty, tonal guitar bludgeons chord after chord without a grain of groove or feeling. The electronics batter away with ugly, awkward textures and alien, industrial noises that are often very unbalanced in the mix and have uninteresting wobbles and noises screeching over what little is going on in the background. Theres a lot of harsh chopping and glitching sounds thrown in too the already clustered and aimless songs, further dispelling any signs of music.

It's truly been an awful listening experience, of the few times I could bare to stomach this record I found nothing in these lifeless noise abuse tracks. On paper a lot of whats going on could work, however the execution seem to suck out all feeling. The heavy guitars could of easily added in a little groove and mosh, but the breakdowns where beyond lackluster and everything about this record just reeked. Its hard to be so critical but there was truly nothing to take away from this experience.

Rating: 0/10

Suicide Silence "You Can't Stop Me" (2014)

Suicide Silence are a Californian Deathcore five-piece band who emerged from the early scene with one of the harsher sounds the genre would know. Snappy drums, deafening guitars and two distinct styles of brute force vocals, shrill snarly screams and bludgeoning dense gutturals. The band forged a unique sound which has led them to great success in establishing and growing a large fan base over the years. In 2012 tragedy struck the group when lead singer Mitch Lucker died in a motorcycle accident. Known for being covered in tattoos and being an all round nice guy he would be sorely missed, which is true of the music too, his style and tone an undeniable pivot in the groups sound and success. I was genuinely surprised to hear the band were continuing on. This first record without Mitch features Eddie Hermida stepping up to fill the big boots left behind.

The album continues where "The Black Crown" left off, showing a tamer side to their previously bludgeoning approaching to brutal, slamming music. This constructive riffing approach and choice of tempered, varied styles puts the record in an interesting balance where the brutal, slam moments steal the show. Melodic leads, guitar solos and various breaks do alter the flow where the bludgeoning would get nauseous, but this is what the band used to do so well, a continual onslaught of over the top brutality and although its still a prevalent mentality, the spark is lost in all but a few songs where things get heated but even then its nothing as intense and defining as songs like "Girl Of Glass" which reminds me of the lack of breakdown or breakout moments I had come accustom to.

The records production is a little crowded and overpowering, although effective in creating a brutal tone, the drums and guitars are over compressed, reducing the tone and color in crowded moments where the pounding rhythm takes lead as the instruments tones collide. With such big boots to fill vocalist Eddie does a relatively decent job with rasp screams and deep, open tonal gutturals, but ultimately the spark they once had is lost with Mitch and Eddies generic screams make a mediocre record of a band loosing their charm. Not all is bad, there's a couple of decent tracks and its an entertaining listen if your in the mood for mindless brutality, not to mention an enthralling feature from George Fisher.

Favorite Songs: Control, Warrior, Ending Is The Beginning.

Rating: 4/10

As Blood Runs Black "Ground Zero" (2014)

California Deathcore outfit "As Blood Runs Black" were once a promising force in the emerging scene, performing a distinctive sound that played to the genres most obvious traits as well as defining a unique character that would set them a little aside from other bands. It took them five years to follow up on their debut "Allegiance" in which time the Deathcore trend has well and truly died down. This third record was crowd funded and didn't have me especially excited considering many lineup changes and diminishing interest in the scene. Despite all that this album turned out to be reasonably enjoyable.

The group retain their distinctive sound, mostly thanks to the return of original drummer Hector who stamps his cold mechanical machine like drumming on the sound, and the guitars which retain the similar tone and riffing approach we are used to, although not quite the same level of bludgeoning tracks like "Hester Prynne" offered. Through the track listening there is a noticeable and welcome infusion of styles that break the mold, from melodic, clean sung choruses to acoustic interludes and progressive solos. Of course its all spliced between atypical palm mute chugging and rhythmic breakdowns which fail to break there own comfort zone.

The record was relatively short and to the point with none of the tracks meandering, but across the length their was little magic to measure. The better moments came from the melodic riffs and breakaways from their core sound, but all of it was between just that. The excessive breakdowns and attempted bludgeoning dulled all the better ideas. Certainly wasn't a bad listen if you like the Deathcore sound, but it failed to give me much reason to listen to it more.

Favorite Track: Chapters

Rating: 3/10

As Blood Runs Black "Allegiance" (2006)

As Blood Runs Black are an American Deathcore band who formed in the early years of the Deathcore scene and dropped this, their debut album, at the peak of the genres popularity in 2006. After giving this one a spin during a work out today, I felt compelled to talk about it. This is one of the better sounds to emerge from the scene that would become plagued with mimicking bands and a flood of mediocre music.

The groups sound leans much closer to Metalcore and Hardcore than its Death Metal counterpart, what is "Death" about it is rather sonicly visceral and full on than anything remotely Death Metal, this is often true of many Deathcore bands that have an abrasive sound only similar in tone and aggression, not often in mood or substance. The heavy side of their sound comes from the aesthetic and songwriting where these typical Metalcore style songs break away into slamming, pummeling breakdowns with simplistic grooves and machine-like drumming that rattles away with exceptional precision, and lots of use of triggers, the end of "My Fears have Become Phobias" being an example. These slams and breaks are accompanied by a solid vocal presence ranging from snarled screams to forceful guttural rawrs, and the occasional gang shout.

Although they will be more noticeably be defined by these characteristics, the group write decent Metalcore leads, with memorable riffs making use of melodics and pinch harmonics that ads up to create exciting and aggressive music. My problem with this album is its lack of substance, after the first three songs the group change the mood with a gentle instrumental "Pouting Reign", a song that lacks any real progression or musical ideas, and from this point onwards the Metal tracks never really live up to the promise of the first few, recycling the same ideas, or trying things that just don't do it for me. Decent record, great sound, but a lack of depth in the songwriting department.

Favorite Tracks: In Dying Days, My Fears Have Become Phobias, Hester Prynne

Rating: 5/10