I grabbed this promo as it is the same label behind the excellent Pathogenic album that came out earlier this year. And also because the ‘For Fans of’ band listing was this: The Black Dahlia Murder, Dimmu Borgir, Prayer for Cleansing, At The Gates. Ok, ya got me.

So yeah, an altogether different beast than Pathogenic’s Djenty technical death metal. And the FFO is somewhat accurate, as this certainly pulls from 00s metalcore and melodeath like The Black Dahlia Murder and other At The Gates -ish US bands of the time like As Hope Dies and Darkest Hour.

But then it adds a light layer of orchestration to the material, and that adds an aura of Bleeding Through and newer acts Dead World Reclamation or Wythersake, to the overall sound. Which, if you know anything about me, is a solid positive.

All of these influences come together and form a solid debut. It’s not spectacular, but the older style breakdowns, leads, and riffs do have a tangible 00s metalcore charm and style. And of course, orchestration, which for me is always an enjoyable addition.

The standout tracks are the ones that either lean hard into the Darkest Hour style or add the orchestral elements in a thicker, more dramatic layer. Or both. Tracks like “A Godless Shrine”. The Nihilist Machine”, “Death Bed”, the title track, and the blistering, tangibly Bleeding Through-ish sounding “Worm Tongue”.

And don’t let the band’s moniker and album title let you think this is 00s Christian metalcore, quite the opposite. But in the end, with the absolute onslaught of orchestral/symphonic metalcore/deathcore in the aether right now, this album, while enjoyable, is simply going to get buried by better releases in the genre in 2025.

[Visit the band's website]

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