This is a little album review I have done for the folks over at The Metal Syndicate
check it out
1: Manufactured extinct
This song starts out with waves crashing on a beach, giving you the refreshing feeling. Then the absolutely sinister guitar riffs kick in. David is delivering a slow creeping pace on the drums. A bloodthirsty growl is dispatched by Travis as the tempo picks it up a notch. “In the beginning, of this!” The verse is a solid vocal track as the guitar riff is utterly faultless. David administers a barrage of blast beats that will melt your face. David McGraw may not be the world’s best drummer, but man he can grind the hell out of those blasts. He can make a song like this sound brutal, bad ass, and remarkable. This song has that filthy yet satisfactory feel. The chorus is first class and catchy, which is why I love it. This song is badass, with a groove you can move to.
2: Prophets of loss
Without delay Travis hits us with a banshee-like scream, while blast beats pummel at our senses. All this is going on and the guitar gives us a great driving riff. This is a solid quick tempo song without a single blemish. Even during the spoken dialogue the guitars and drums are strategically bad-ass. David McGraw is incredible on the drums, absolutely impressive. This song is brutal and fast all the while maintaining a groove regardless of changes. At 1:30 in, this song has gone from a grim, brutal song to an even more impressive gut wrenching brutal metal track. The chorus is great as Travis is using his unorthodox high pitch guttural vocals to enhance the feel. This song is awesome, I love it.
3: Plagueborne
This song starts out with a sound clip; just a trashy sounding, fuzzy drum beat. With a 1.2.3.4 on the floor tom and the snare to bring the song into its brutal beginning. A quick drum roll transitions into the first verse. The first verse is a supersonic gravity blast filled section that is pleasing to the listener. The second verse is the same as the first. The song has a pre chorus that has a rapid fire double bass roll and drum beat. This section exposes a brutal grinding blasting assault. Just when you think the song didn’t get any more brutal, the chorus begins. Travis is rocking those high pitched vocals that could not work for anyone. For cattle Decapitation, nothing is off limits. The breakdown has a killer punchy feel to it. Thus begins the double bass rolling and gravity blasting to pick the tempo up. As the song peaks it drops back into the chorus, a slower feel to the song but man those vocals just make it. After the chorus, Travis is just letting out a low guttural and high pitched vocal mixture. That blends like you wouldn’t expect it to. The conclusion of the song has those high pitched vocals. This is a great song I have found myself listening to over and over again.
4: Clandestine ways (Krokodil Rot)
The song starts out with David blasting away for a few bars with a fill, and then more blasting. A very brief pause sets up the first verse. The verse has a nice up tempo feel, with mid-range vocals. The verse doesn’t seem to last long before it goes into a pre chorus for a few bars. It sets up for a high pitched banshee scream that rings out, while high pitched vocals are laying down some thought provoking lines. There is a short lived setup here and the song slows down to a punchy feel with low guttural vocals. This song has quite a few changes but they are not going overboard with the amount of changes. This song has a cool feel to it. Like a relentless gravity blast serenade of guttural vocals and filth. This is a cool song, it might not be everyone’s favorite but it has all the characteristics of a great tune.
5: Circo Inhumanitas.
David gives us a quick drum fill which is then followed by blast beats. Immediately after, Travis hits us with the cut-throat mid-range vocals. Every track has a brutal and menacing driving guitar riff. Those punchy guitar riffs for those moments when bodies are going to be moving hard and heavy are also present. The chorus to this song has those unyielding high pitched vocals that cut deep. With rapid fire double bass and blast beats I’d say David takes home a trophy for his work on this album. At 2:10 this song takes on a change that is just absolutely brutal, a slower feel for a few bars. At the same time Travis is giving us low and mid-range vocals for a few bars and then the high pitched for a bar or two. This is a great song. This album so far has 5 out of 5 songs that are very impressive.
6: The Burden Of Seven Billion
This is a very gloomy, sinister and chilling instrumental track. It has the feel of a murder scene in a horror movie giving you time to contemplate the song title. This is one of those instrumental tracks that is just the right length. Not too short, not too long or drawn out. Without a doubt a great addition to the album.
7: Mammals In Babylon
The way this song starts it has that driving forceful rhythm for a few bars. The verse is a solid tempo that you can move and the second verse is the same as the first in the way that it is solid and on point. By the time the pre chorus hits, it is set up well to the beginnings of a banshee scream, and some blast beats. Following that, Travis hits us with high pitches… guttural high. They are different sounding then the usual high pitched vocals. The chorus is very enjoyable as it is a solid catchy chorus. This song possesses that groove you can really rock out to. This song is great; an unwavering brutal metal masterpiece.
8: Mutual Assured Destruction
A quick drum introduces us to the feel of the song. Cattle Decapitation does not ease the listener into the blast filled assault they are about to fall victim to. Travis is giving it all with his mid-range vocals all the while as a driving guitar riff engineers to keep the bodies moving. While the pre chorus feels like it is holding something back, the chorus delivers unforgiving brutality.
9: Not Suitable For Life
Travis explodes with growls while vicious drums and a heavy guitar riff hit hard. That seems to be the pattern so far with this album. They get right into the brutality without any fluff. The verse is solid with an even more evil sounding chorus. The lyrical content of the chorus has a villainous feel. The second time the chorus hits we experience a few more bars of this slow, and brutal onslaught. This is definitely a solid and brutal track that I am enjoying.
10: Apex Blasphemy
This song punches its way in with mind numbing guitar riffs and blast beats. The vocals that you hear first are the consistent mid-range vocals. With the first change I am really enjoying the guitar riff, and then Travis gives us one of those vomitus vocal bursts. The uncompromised high vocals hit us hard and fast. I am personally really enjoying the drums on this song. With how rapid fire this song is, you can still move to it. I am trying to refrain from head banging right now. This song is appropriately titled as it is the apex of blasphemous reverberation.
11: Axe Exitium
The sound of waves are crashing again however this has a depressing feel to it. The dismal and somber melody on the guitar lulls you into feelings of hopelessness. Everything about this song is cool except the vocals. I just don’t care for them. I understand the reasoning behind them but I just feel that this song could have been a cool instrumental album ender. It’s definitely not one of those songs you skip past though.
12: Pacific Grim
Just like most of the other tracks it kicks into high gear right out of the gate. By no means do they attempt to hold back. This song has a very solid verse, and the pre chorus is equally as satisfactory. This song has an unsurpassable groove, which matches the guttural brutality of it. David McGraw handles the drums with surgical precision and grace.
After all is said and done, this album is a masterpiece. This is one of those few albums that you can listen from start to finish without skipping. The vocal range that Travis possesses is incredible. He nails the highs, the lows, the guttural deep lows, and the banshee like screeches. David is relentless on the drums, a well executing drum machine. This is one of my top albums of 2015 hands down. This album has all the right qualities that blend perfectly. This album is damn near perfect. If you haven’t gotten this album yet and are looking for a great album to buy, make this be the one.
-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com
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