Review: All Shall Perish - This Is Where It Ends

Band: All Shall Perish
Album: This Is Where It Ends
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Genre: Melodic Deathcore

Awaken the Dreamers is where I first got into All Shall Perish, but only after discovering the band Gunmetal Grey which Hernan Hermida fronted for their one and only release. I really have enjoyed the blend of melodic death metal and deathcore ASP are so good at and they have really perfected it on TIWIE.

Hernan's vocals are pretty unique, at least I haven't really come upon anyone else who sounds like him. He has a gravely high pitched growl he uses the majority of the time. He can actually get pretty high with it too and its impressive. There is also a lower death growl he throws in from time to time as well. I like that when you hear him you instantly know what band is playing and who is fronting it.

There are some really good melodic heavy riffs on the album too. While you have the more melodic tracks like There Is Nothing Left, Procession of Ashes, and The Past Will Haunt Us Both, there are heavier songs as well like My Retaliation, The Death Plague, and Royalty Into Exile. The Past Will Haunt Us Both is this album's Never Again..., its soft but aggressive at the time and full of emotion. The harmonies are excellent and there are plenty in every song.

While the drumming is nothing special its rather solid. Adam Pierce throws in lots of double bass which is pretty standard. The bass can be heard which is nice as well. I really like the production here too, its crisp, clear, and clean in all the right ways. Its clean but not overproduced like many modern bands often are. Everything seems to be mixed properly and nothing is too high or low in the mix.

This Is Where It Ends is another good release by All Shall Perish and is another bright spot in the melodic deathcore scene. With its mix melody and brutality ASP are on the right track here. There is really not much to dislike about TIWIE, my copy even had a Spanish version of Royalty In Exile which is pretty awesome little addition! Get this if you like All Shall Perish, Deathcore, melodic deathcore, or just really good extreme metal.

Score: 9/10
Standout Track: The Past Will Haunt Us Both, There Is Nothing Left, Royalty Into Exile

Review: Suicide Silence - The Black Crown

Band: Suicide Silence
Album: The Black Crown
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Genre: Deathcore

I noticed Suicide Silence isn't on the Metal Archives and after listening to The Black Crown a few times I can understand. I suppose you can say that this band is deathcore but far more on the core side of things. There are a couple of alright songs here but for the most part its boring breakdown heavy deathCORE.

I don't actually mind one or two breakdowns a song, I'm a fan of deathcore and metalcore and even some hardcore so it's something that never bothered me. Except when a band goes way over the top with it. The Black Crown starts with Slaves to Substance and you automatically known there are going to be way too many breakdowns on this album. The chorus of the album is almost a borderline breakdown itself.

Then there is an almost Korn/nu metal sort of vibe to the music and structures (outside of the breakdowns...for the most part). O.C.D. is like a tribute to Korn the chorus reminds me of something that band would have written in the mid 90s. In fact take Korn's first self titled album throw death growls over it and add breakdowns and more double bass and it would probably sound something like this. Even the lyrics and song titles scream 90s nu metal angst with a track even called "Fuck Everything".

To round out the nu metal inspiration Jonathan Davis from Korn even does guest vocals on the song Witness the Addiction. This whole album is rather boring, there are just too many breakdowns! And what few riffs that are here between breakdowns aren't very imaginative or memorable. The vocals were probably the best part about The Black Crown for me. Cancerous Skies is a pretty decent song but it doesn't make up for a whole messy album.

I would suggest only listening to this if you don't mind breakdowns and/or already enjoy Suicide Silence.

Score: 3.5/10
Standout Track: Cancerous Skies

Closed Minded Fans

The metal fan base seems to be one of the most closed minded subcultures in music and possibly modern human civilization. Yet at the same time strangely open minded at the same time. Wait...what?

You will see (some) metal heads talking about how its all about the music and they aren't judgmental or anything of that sort. You can then mention how you enjoy a deathcore/metalcore band a minute later and they will be calling you a faggot and telling you how shitty your taste is.

It is called personal taste for a reason ya know? I, and others, don't have to like [Insert Band Name Here] as much as you do, or even at all if we don't want to. And while I don't really listen to much Deathcore, and fewer and fewer Metalcore bands are added to my iPod as time goes on, I still cannot stand to see how the metal community consistently shits on these bands or people who enjoy them. Do you have to like As Blood Runs Black, or All Shall Perish? Not at all, like what you want I don't care. But do you have to be such a dick about not liking those kind of bands? ...No.

There is so much negativity and bad mouthing that goes on within this group that just browsing forums sometimes makes me remember why I never really sought out people who enjoy metal. No one wants to be friends with a bunch of elitist poo flinging assholes who are butthurt over other people's musical preferences.
Oh well I doubt this is going to change anytime soon, if ever. Carry on.