Having another "it's been too long since I did this yo" would be silly so here... have the same thing but meta! Let's see what these four has to offer. Yep, ending the intro now before it spirals out of control.
Oh nice, that's a smooth clean guitar int... Woah. Just like that Truent got my attenti... THIS GROOVES SO HARD WHAT THE? Hippotraktor on life support rn! shitty airdrumming ensues
What you have just read is a dramatic re-enactment of my initial clash with this quintet through the song "Blood And Dust". I'm always up for some chonky bangers and Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment is cho(n)ck-full of them. Apart from the obvious deathcore influence, this Canadian quintet deftly flirts (and BLERGHS) with tech death, "normal" death, groove metal and even classical guitars. Stand out "In This Verdant Coil" ties their influences nicely with a sense of momentum reminiscent of Revocation and Soreption paired with some Fit For An Autopsy shouty vocals. This and more all leads to a more nuanced and diverse effort with clear highs but I would be lying if some songs don't flow a bit too well into another.
Luckily, the album is aware of this which is why it spans just above thirty minutes, a refreshing choice considering the cluttered, oversaturated scene filled with poorly sounding, overly self-indulgent duds. Which brings us to the sonic quality of Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment.
The fact it's a debut is evident with its guitar tone at times feeling sterile, plastic and that took me out of it but not enough seeing how each instrument got its own pocket. The drummer's ghost noting made me aware of this easier alongside a steady flow of bass rumbling and you know how I love my bass in metal - audible. So kudos for that lads alongside what is a very fun, concise and energetic effort that is ideal for any type of physical activity. Plus, this being a debut makes me hopeful for the band's future and potential too. Think I'll keep my eye on them and you should too!
You know what else deserves more eyes or in this case ears? Ghais Guevara's insane There Will Be No Super-Slave. As it stands this is one of my favorite rap releases of this year and that became a clear possibility as soon as "#FREEMIR" starts drilling but it cemented itself during "Patrisse Cullors Stole My Lunch Money". Why is that?
Well sampling a PS4 intro song certainly helps your case... and naming your song "Rayman Legends" too that's surface level shit. In its essence this is both a de- and re-construction of modern hip hop. Politically charged but loose, somber yet uplifting, angry but composed and always creative and operating on its terms and its terms alone, I really can't think of anyone crafting beats and implementing samples like this.
Honestly, rap fans are so focused on mainstream garbage and "GOAT" discussions that they're missing on insane young talent paving a new way for a genre that, on surface level, is stagnating.
As a Slav I'm not privy to all the injustices in America and the suppression of its people but I can recognize the spirit, emotions and skill when I hear it. While not perfect and let's be real here, there is no such thing as a perfect album, There Will Be No Super-Slave is still insanely impressive and multifaceted from every point of view. With its discovery Ghais Guevara joins the ranks of Pink Siifu, ZelooperZ, Mach-Hommy and R.A.P. Ferreira as the hot new underground talent that demands everyone's attention. So don't be silly and give this a listen or three.
And just like that we're back in metal territory. Before you stands Vermilion Dawn's VVitch Den, another deathcore-influenced debut. Unlike Truent who revel in the BLERGHs and BREEE's, Vermilion Dawn is decidedly more progressive and death-metal leaning. Think Fallujah meeting up with The Faceless and then going to Entheos shows together. Super wholesome image but make no mistake as this is a mean, lean riff machine. Plus lots of keyboard-dominated segments that set the mood or embellish a clean section like during "Flesh Born".
Nothing particularly new but the way Cody Stonebrook went about it is truly impressive. I honestly didn't notice all of this was his doing. Really thought I was looking at a quartet at the very least haha. Just goes to show how far music and production have gone. Speaking of which, VVitch Den sounds fantastic. Earthy, warm and with the bass leading the charge. Think Focus-era Cynic level of clarity but slightly more serrated due to Vermilion Dawn's larger frame. The drumming is mostly responsible for that heft though as we're met with lots of blasting and double bass barrages strung throughout which nicely counters the more spacious guitars and keyboards. Vocals as well can up the ante like on "Blood Coven" where Cody enters black metal-levels of pitch but armed with all the deathcore sliminess you could wish for. Tasty stuff.
Funnily enough the word "tasty" was the first I wrote in my notes so if you find yourself in need of something spicier than the infinite maw of OSDM-inspired bands eating creative juices, this could be your meal. Low cal but high in protein.
And now for the record that inspired this volume, Torturized's Aftermath. If you've been paying attention then my obligatory rEvIeWeR comparison should make more sense. If we placed Truent and Vermilion Dawn on a slider, each of them would inhabit an extreme, Truent for its groovy violence and Vermillion Dawn for its refined rage. And what of Torturized? They're right dead in the middle baby. Even sonically. What makes Torturized specific in this brilliant (sarcasm) comparison is their lack of -core influences. Instead the German quintet relied on good ole' riffs. And yes I am aware I said the same thing about VVitch Den but it's been two weeks since I touched this draft so be quiet!
Anways, the riffs be pummelling with a sense of urgency and momentum. But just as much as they can sow chaos, they can also sit back and give both themselves and you some breathing room with some really nice ambient sections. So nice in fact that I wished there were more of them.
Plus the whole thing flows very well and sounds spectacular. So spectacular in fact that... But yes. To sum up everything here. Just a "yes". Maybe I'm lazy, or it's 1 in the morning mania hitting or maybe I'm just creatively bankrupt and a complete hack...
NOT! Not sure about that mania though but I'll say this, or rather said because I be looking at my notes again. Cheating? Heh, cope you losers. Anyways they say how I completely warmed up to their sound by the midway point of the album, how everything sounds spectacular AND how the vocalist reminds me of Phil Bozeman from Whitechapel mixed with Spiros Antoniou of Septicflesh fame. Think I still agree with my past self which is not that common. Ferocious clarity. That's your pretentious syntagm for the day. I seriously think how that's the trait that connects the two aforementioned vocalists and the individual presented as Siggi on Metallum... Or is it Lu? In any case, both of you did an excellent job and if I were near ya, I would give you the most awkward high five of your lives! Just kidding, it would be a super epic one.
Now, don't take my extremely playful tone as a means of not taking this seriously, I am but I can't write four batches of text in the same manner and not feel like I cheated or called it a day like so many seem to be doing (this is a call to war, let's go boys).
With that digression aside, Aftermath fucks. It føks HARD. So hard in fact that I...
Just listen to the damn thing okay? For extra context just look at the last sentence in the Vermilion Dawn section. All this needs more pairs of ears at present so do just that and I'll whip up another volume by the end of the month. Or I won't because I'm (NOT) a hack. Take care and stop listening to... I dunno, thrash bands that DON'T have the letter "V" in their name. More on that later... maybe. Bye!
Through The Vale Of Earthly Torment was released independently on June 17th of 2022, VVitch Den also independently but on June 21st of 2022 while There Will Be No Super-Slave was released... also independently on July 16th of 2022 and finally Aftermath was released through Apostasy Records on July 8th of 2022.