The Australian band dropped the
Invigoration EP, allowing us to experience A Night in Texas and a
deathcore-technical mixed sound. Being an avid lover and listener of
deathcore, this band meets the necessary criteria of the genre, but
is it enough for them to emerge with a sound that's already been
perfected by many before them? Their last release was their
self-titled demo in 2009. We'll see if they've progressed into
something fit for 2013 and its unique needs.
Listening to the first track,
"Invigoration," it functioned as an intro track, featuring a slow, eerie vibe very
typical to the genre. It was still considerably
unique in itself, incorporating sounds which could surely induce
paranoia. At first I had expected this to be a track of full
digitally modified sound as I've seen many times before on deathcore
albums. However, the vocals, drums and guitars come in toward the
middle; very suitable vocals, and the most props going to the little
bass solo at the end (although I wish it was more prominent). The
vocals sit at a mid-range level, with an overlap of Hicks' highs
throughout the whole EP. Much preference given to the highs, as
mid-ranges can so easily fall a bit more flat. He as well does not
shy away from incorporating the well-known deathcore "blech."
I've always found vocal technique to give a cool, rage-inducing feel,
but the placement of this vocal flare in the beginning and
toward the middle of "Throne of Flies" just doesn't do anything
for me; once again during the next song, "Orphan of Humanity,"
where there's a third attempt at it. This popularly known "blech"
is tiring into a "blah" for me in 2013 tunes, leaving me to
believe it should be left to the originals. The band who comes out
with a new type of vocal flare this year will get ratings in my
books.
Although there are many fast flowing,
shredding sections and quick changes within these songs, there is
also a lot of repetition on guitar and bass. In many songs, there is
a lot of common "chug-chug-chug" repetitions and overplay of the
same riffs, which becomes a little exhausting. Although an individual
repetition never carried through the entire course of a song, it was
the fact that there are often riffs made up of a repetition of a tiny
piece of itself, followed by another section doing the exact same.
Don't get me wrong, these riffs still suit everything this band is
going for. They have very dark, slower guitar bits and also fast,
more exciting ones as well. There are also many shifts from shreds,
to solos, to slower sections, and breakdowns. With this, the fourth
track, "Human Cattle," would be considered the best of the EP. The
fading intro (which was the quality most swaying my decision to pick
as favourite), shreds, blasts, slams and breakdown in this song
exemplify all the characteristics previously described. Its very own
lyric video was released on March 29.
As part of the aging population of
early-on deathcore lovers, this debut EP might not do the genre much
justice for me. I could see this band being the most enjoyable to
a new-found listener in the scene; certainly with their incorporation
of an undoubtedly booming technical genre. This band is still fresh
to 2013 with only one previous release from four years ago. However,
there's over-use of an overdone vocal technique and commonly accepted
beats not unheard of by many, but can go unnoticed as this to that
new-found listener. I beg for a deathcore band to bring something new
to the table in 2013 or allow for deathcore to see its exit since
it's already been mastered and seemingly, only allows history to
repeat itself for many “newer” bands striving for that deathcore
and/or technical-mixed sound. When it comes down to it, it's all
about perception based on experience with these genres and if you
feel its progressing in the right or wrong direction with each new
release that comes out.
For Fans Of: King Conquer, The Red
Shore, Trigger the Bloodshed
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