But here is Australia’s A Night In Texas (I’d love for someone to comment on the band’s name origins), with their 4th album, The Darkest Side of Humanity, to rectify the situation. Surprisingly, I’m not overly familiar with the band, only having first heard them on 2024’s Digital Apocalypse, but in going back and checking out the band’s first 2 efforts, 2015’s God Delusion and 2017’s Global Slaughter, I see that they’ve been pretty consistent with their sound: technical deathcore with some symphonic elements scattered generously around.

Now, when I say blackened or symphonic deathcore, I don’t mean a full-on Lorna Shore, Shadow of Intent, or Worm Shepherd sound. It’s close, but the band’s primary sound is firmly rooted in the band’s thriving Australian deathcore scene (To the Grave, Thy Art is Murder, etc.), but adds symphonic elements at times. But when they do lean into the more epic/dramatic sounds, which seems like tangibly more than prior releases, it hits pretty hard, as they are delivered/composed by none other than Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse), so I’d expect nothing less.

This increased orchestral and choral presence is used well to enhance moments in songs, rather than being present all the time, but when they do show up, they are super effective. It makes already stout tracks like “Fed to Death” the standout “Metastatic Misery”, ‘The Infinite Maw” (where Ryan Vail of Larcenia Roe helps out), or the closing killer title track pretty fucking epic. At times, I’m reminded of when Bonecarver’s sound changed on Carnage Funeral (in particular, the start of “Metastatic Misery” recalls “Morgue Desecrator” from that album).

But there is plenty of straight-up brutal, brutal deathcore for the Crown Magnetar folks, like “Rot From Within” or “A Primal Conditioning”, where the orchestration is a little less present or more understated, if still there (I mean, why would you hire Ferrini and not use him at least a little?). The only track that’s a bit of an outlier is “When the Sun Burns Out”, a moody sort of ballad with clean vocals that, while going for Whitechapel’s The Valley/Kin sound, doesn’t quite work for me.

The band’s own guitarist, Cory Judd, produced and engineered the album, as he has on past albums, and it sounds great, making the entire effort one of the better examples of the genre in 2026, though right now it doesn’t have much competition.

And now they have added another one with Austria’s Castiel (Hebrew for ‘God is my shield ‘………And also a character from the Supernatural TV show?).

Castiel has been on my radar for a while now since I heard the song “The Abyss” from 2024, and the subsequent EP Khaos, then backtracking and checking out the band’s album, Shadowlands from 2023. And they are a natural fit for Seek and Strike, if slightly different.

Yes, this is deathcore; yes, it has some blackened/symphonic elements; yes, it has the all-too-common, utterly demoic vocalist, so there is some appeal for the Lorna Shore, Shadow of Intent crowd. But for the most part, this is far more downtempo and brutish, having more in common with Humanity’s Last Breath, Praetor, Distant, and Black Tongue.

As a new label, introductory EP, this is only 4 songs and about 20 minutes, made up of 4 ‘acts’: “Defile//Denounce”, “A Festering Wound”, “Vile Spirits”, and “Empty Throne”. All four have the same lumbering, heavy, downtuned pace with a slight flocking of keyboards and atmospherics.

All 4 songs do sound pretty similar, and I wish there had been a standout moment or 2, but sadly, this is 20 minutes of continuous, suffocating, loping heft, notably on “Vile Spirits” and “Empty Throne”. Take that as a good or bad thing, but I would have liked just a little more variety personally.

Still, a solid introduction to a larger audience on Seek and Strike, nd I will still definitely check out the no doubt impending full-length album. And hope for just a little more.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but original vocalist Duane Duarte was let go after some alleged questionable behavior (though they still released Hunger with him on it), leaving guitarist Tre Purdue as the lone remaining member. In comes Ian Smith from The Archaic Epidemic to replace Duarte, Thomas O’Malley from Ingested on guitars, and original drummer Leo Mclain (Psycho-Frame, ex Immortal Disfigurement) comes back in the fold. But most importantly, Purdue went out and got Harry Tadayon to help out with guitars (he helped out on Hunger) and orchestration.

Now, Tadayon has quickly become a hot, Francesco Ferrini-like commodity in the scene, doing orchestration for the likes of Ov Ruin, Synestia, and Heir of Fire. He also has his own bands, Vile Sycophant and Hate Within, as well as served some time in Immortal Disfigurement. Dude does absolutely stunning compositions and orchestration, so I was excited to see what he brought to Worm Shepherd. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Worm Shepherd were one of the genre’s top bands before this new lineup, and as you’d expect, Tadayon and co deliver. The 5 songs to introduce the new lineup, delve a little more into the more controlled atmospheric side of The Sleeping Sun EP from 2023, but also do plenty of the genre’s Lorna Shore-heavy tropes, as they have done since 2020’s In The Wake Ov Sol.

All 5 songs are, of course, heavily, heavily orchestral, with Tadayon in top form, delivering a massive layer of dramatic symphonic and choral bombast to the now well-copied template of massive Lorna Shore breakdowns and blackened blast beats.

From the dramatic opener “The Omen”, through the shorter, moody “Feast”, and waltz-y lurch of “Sanctified Rot” to the EP’s centerpiece, the killer,  7+ minute closer “Whispers of a Buried Land”, this lineup is locked in and delivers top-notch examples of the genre. The album’s endcap will certainly stand as one of the best songs in the genre for the year, even having some Lorna Shore-ish moments of melody and emotion built in, as well as the now requisite, huge breakdown that gets slower and heavier.

That said, with sooooooo many bands doing this style now (and well), I have to be honest, with the genre’s saturation going on for a while, they all are starting to sound a bit too similar, especially ones with Tadayon. Frankly, if a song by Synestia, Vile Sycophant, Ov Ruin, Heir of Fire, or Worm Shepherd (or countless other non-Tadayon bands) came on my playlist, I have to look to see which project/band it is.

It still doesn’t stop me from really enjoying all of it; I’m just curious as to who will be the band that tries something just a little different, rather than follow the Lorna Shore template so rigidly.

But if you have read my reviews before, you know I am one: A huge fan of the blackened/symphonic deathcore genre, and two: an even bigger fan of Lorna Shore, arguably the alpha leader in said genre. So it goes without saying, this review will not be very objective. You have been warned.

So, after absolutely blowing up with 2021’s EP, ...And I Return to Nothingness, which introduced the world to the yellow lab of deathcore vocalists, Will Ramos, 2022’s Pain Remains virtually broke the internet. Especially after the “Pain Remains pt1: Dancing Like Flames” song and video dropped, showing the genre could have some emotion and make grown men cry (guilty).

So here we are 3 years later, and here is the long-awaited follow-up, the wordily titled I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me, and its super dark cover, a stark contrast to the bright white cover of Pain Remains. And as with Pain Remains, a trio of singles were released, giving the world a taste of about a third of the album before release. And if I’m being honest, those released songs, “Oblivion”, “Unbreakable”, and “Prison Of Flesh”, didn’t truly excite me as they seemed a bit formulaic and reminiscent of many of the songs from Pain Remains and To The Hellfire.

Listen, the knock on Lorna Shore has been the formulaic songs since even Immortal, but bands locking into a core previous sound has never been an issue for me, or many other bands for that matter (i.e, Bolt Thrower, Deicide, Dismember, and countless others). And that trio of singles certainly follows the Lorna Shore formula: a little choral intro, jackhammer blasts, some swelling synths, Ramos snarling and whispering, a crescendo, and then a crumbling breakdown. They are basically the ‘Welcome Back, O Sleeping Dreamer”, “Cursed to Die”, and “Suneater” of this album.

And after those three singles, it appeared Lorna Shore was simply treading in place for the new album. Which, admittedly, I would have been OK with, but there was no “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” single to get me truly hyped.

And then the album came out, and I skipped to the first ‘fresh’ unreleased song, “In Darkness”, the third song amid the first released singles. And my lord, I audibly reacted as the massive orchestral intro (up until this point the most epic thing they have done- until another track later on), and then I got goosebumps as the song progressed. It still fits the Lorna Shore formula, but leans more in the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, just with some extra ‘epicness’, and brings that hefty, emotional gravitas to the chorus, which is layered with utterly gorgeous choirs and a key change to die for.

After “Unbreakable”, a more anthemic, dare I say, positive ode to fans, we get “Glenwood”. And listen, if you teared up at “Pain Remains pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” due to the loss of a loved one, strap in if you have an estranged father or are a child of divorce, as this one will hit you right in the fucking gut. Again leaning into the more melodic and emotional hues of the “Pain Remains” trilogy, it’s up there with “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames”, as far as the most heartfelt and personal material the band has penned. And the choirs, key change, and lead solo at the end gave me goosebumps yet again. It also has some very subtle female vocals, which the band scatters throughout the album to amazing effect.

The soaring “Lionheart” is up next and sits somewhere between the more repetitive/familiar nature of Lorna Shore and the more melodic, emotional side, but has a killer chorus, and I’m pretty sure Ramos snarls the iconic William Wallace line from the Braveheart movie.

“Death Can Take Me” is yet another ‘typical’ Lorna Shore song that seems familiar, even with a more ‘swaying’ breakdown and an ending breakdown that might be the album’s most destructive moment. But Andrew O’Connor’s keyboards (which are more ethereal and choir-heavy), as they do throughout the album, seem just a little ‘bigger’, if still a little mired in Josh Schroeder’s production. It’s not up there with say Sin Deliverance or Ov Ruin levels of orchestral bombast, but definitely a little more than Pain Remains at times. “War Machine”, which is my least favorite song on the album, is a straight-up bruiser going all in on sheer velocity and heft, which some older Lorna fans might appreciate.

Penultimate track, “A Nameless Hymn”, a really solid number, that like “Lionheart” blends the band’s more predictable formula with more grandiosity, and a breakdown that matches “Death Can Take Me” in sheer fucking disgustingness.

Then the 10-minute closer “Forevermore” is the song that broke me, as “Pt 2; After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear” did on Pain Remains. Dedicated to Will Ramos’s recently deceased brother, Corey, its lengthy orchestral opening is the most epic thing they have done with ethereal female vocals and Hans Zimmer levels of sheer majesty. The riffs are vicious yet melodic and brilliantly emotive, and Adam De Micco has absolutely mastered heartfelt, heartstring-pulling leads. And the violins, cellos, orchestration, and female vocals that grace the songs pre-chrous and close out? Just fucking ridiculous and the best thing the band has done in my opinion. It rivals the “Pain Remains” trilogy of songs, if not supersedes it.

Listen. I love this album. It’s not quite the game-changer and bar setter that Pain Remains was, but it is a worthwhile follow-up and has some of the band’s very best moments on it. Still, certainly, the band could self-edit some of their songs to be a bit shorter. And like Pain Remains, there are some overly repetitive moments, but it’s largely carried by its more emotional, personal songs, which the band now seems to be leaning a little harder into, since “Pt 1: Dancing Like Flames” broke the internet, and the band realized this is their difference maker. Also, I had a sneaking suspicion Ramos might throw in some clean vocals, considering his love of bands like Sleep Token, but he has not fallen into that trap… yet.

Some bands have come really, really close to taking the genre’s throne; Sin Deliverance, Metal Cruelty, Worm Shepherd, Synestia, Ov Ruin, Shadow of Intent, etc. But Lorna Shore has responded and fought them off for now with IFTEFWM. Now all I have to do is wait three more years for this album’s follow-up.

Imperium Delirium is the band’s 5th self-released effort, their third after dropping the Halo video game-inspired themes from their first two efforts, Reclaimer and Primordial. 2019s superb Melancholy really put the band on the map outside Halo-themed music, tackling mental health and depression. However, its follow-up Elegy, despite a few killer tracks, was a bit of a step back, following Whitechapel’s The Valley and Kin into more brooding territory, including vocalist Ben Duerr trying his hand at some semi sung parts. And it didn’t quite work for me.

Well, akin to Whitechapel and thier latest fucking blistering return to form, Hymns in Dissonance earlier this year, Shadow of Intent have stormed back with a return to the far more brutal, techincal and symphonic releases that came earlier, and the end result is arguably the best of thier career, and one that will for sure be at or near the top of the genres best albums. Also, Duerr appears to have given up on the clean vocals singing (other than a couple of narrations and more shouted vocals later on in the album).

Much like “Farewell” opener Elegy with an absolute scorcher of a track, “Prepare to Die”, comes out of the gate hard, with epic choirs and synths, and although Fleshgod Apocalypse‘s Francesco Ferinni no longer helps out, guitarist Chris Wiseman certainly learned something, as his orchestral compositions, as many in the style this year are downright epic. And like “Farewell”, it is one of the best tracks the band has penned.

And Imperium Delirium contains several of those, and the band is absolutely locked in. Now, the singles the band released are all fucking great- not a single weak one, such as “Infinity of Horrors”, “Flying the Black Flag”, “Mechanical Chaos”, and “Feeding the Meatgrinder” (with George ‘Corpsegrinder” Fisher helping out). But they smartly saved the album’s best cuts until the album’s release. As well as the opener, the bludgeoning “They Murdered Sleep” and personal favorite “Vehement Draconian Vengeance” are rife with more simply elite orchestration, savage blackened riffs, and breakdowns. It’s truly say ‘wow’ out loud, jaw-dropping stuff.

Then, the sweeping Middle Eastern start of “The Facets of Propaganda” as well as “No Matter the Cost” and the 7 1/2 minute closing title track show the more restrained, moody side of Elegy, but pull it off a little more successfully (i.e., no singing). Especially the sprawling title track with a perfect blend of blistering blackened orchestration, burly breakdowns, and a perfect closeout. It’s the most varied, lengthy, complete, and involved track the band has penned since the likes of “The Tartarus Impalement” from Reclaimer or “The Diadact’s Will” from Primordial..  The only track I don’t see myself revisiting is the 5-minute instrumental “Apocalypse Canvas”, but the band has always dabbled with instrumentals- at least it’s not 10 minutes like “The Dreaded Mystic Abyss” from Melancholy.

That all said, I’d love the band to revisit their sci-fi video game roots. Could you imagine if they tackled something like Gears of War, Destiny or Mass Effect?????

A lot of challengers to the genre’s throne have surfaced this year and last year; Assemble the Chariots, Worm Shepherd, A Wake in Providence, Kneel Before the Death and mainly Ov Ruin and Sin Deliverance (whose Eternal Lament and Universe of Nightmares were my favorite albums in the style respectively, so far), etc, but Shadow of Intent have firmly shown they are one of the top dogs, and if Lorna Shore even misstep a little on thier upcoming effort, Shadow of Intent will supplant them as the true kings of the style.

Then the band literally blew up shortly after with drummer Domenico Tamila kicking out all of the other band members, taking over the social media accounts, and quite a bit of nastiness. Now the ex-members did alright and formed Defamed, who themselves delivered some solid progressive deathcore, but Drown In Sulphur‘s status was a bit up in the air, until they self-released Sulphur Cult in 2021, with a whole new lineup. It took the band in a more blackened direction, with corpse paint and all.

So now here is their second full album with this line-up and style, and I must say I’m very impressed. Sulphur Cult was solid, but Dark Secrets of the Soul really cranks up the blackened elements similar to last year’s Mental Cruelty album and also increases a more…. ‘vampiric’ album concept, atmosphere, and theme. I get some She Must Burn vibes at times as well.

The end result is a really good symphonic/blackened deathcore album that focuses more on the blacker elements and atmospheres and less on constant, pummeling breakdowns (though there are plenty, for example in “Say My Name”). This is moodier and darker with a surprising amount of almost gothic and clean moments, and dare I say.. a couple of surprisingly restrained and enjoyable ‘ballads’ (“Lotus”, “Dark Secrets of the Soul”, “Vampire Communion”).

But certainly, fans of any symphonic/blackened deathcore bands like the aforementioned Mental Cruelty, Shadow of Intent, Carnifex, and of course, Lorna Shore, will enjoy this. There are lots of razor-sharp blasts and dramatic orchestration as heard on the opener “Eclipse of the Sun of Eden”, dramatic “Unholy Light”, killer “Buried By Snow And Hail” and ripping, closing standout “Shadow of the Dark Throne”. All great tracks and examples of the genre.

A damn fine start to the new year in the genre I am a total simp for and a pretty high bar for the genre for the rest of the year. Let’s see what the rest of 2024 brings, as I’ve yet to hear any news from some of the genre’s heavyweights regarding 2024 releases.

Here’s how I dropped the ball, though. I asked for the promo of the new album, which was finished, but it was still too early to review. He asked me to send him a message and remind him when it was officially announced, and he would send it my way. I didn’t do that. Sorry, brother.

Anyway, Harvesters of Flesh and Bone was worth the wait. Although their brand of symphonic deathcore has almost become its parody, they’ve avoided such a peril. The opening track, which is also the title track, is a statement of intent. The keys in the intro fade into the background once the vocals start, and the riff is furious, giving it more of a symphonic metalcore feel instead of deathcore, but that’s splitting hairs. A guitar solo isn’t the norm with the style, but there’s a quick one.

A little further on, “Bloodletter” has the first guest of the album, Ricky Myers of Suffocation, who released their banger recently. It begins with piano, a gruff opening line, and a brief guitar lead. When Ricky’s vocals start slightly over a minute in, one could be mistaken for thinking it’s Frank Mullen himself, but that’s another story. Ricky gets a feature here instead of the normal line or two we see in these instances from guests.

Next up is “No Survivors,” which features the second guest, Scott Ian Lewis of Carnifex. His band released a killer new album this year, too. This is a far bouncier track, with pinch harmonics adding color. The keys/synths are almost always present in this track, as well as the rest. They don’t usually appear in front of everything else, either like other bands. I must mention, however, that after listening to this song many times, I can’t tell in which part(s) Mr. Lewis appears.

I realized I’m near the end and have not mentioned anything in the second half of the album, so I’ll bring up the closer, “Experiment Complete.” It’s around 4 minutes, so par for the course on an 11-track, 37-minute album. They’ve opted for the concise, direct version of a finale, and just like the rest of the album, it’s over before you know it.

Despite my saying symphonic deathcore and deathcore, in general, are past their prime, I realized I’ve enjoyed a fair amount of it this year. Carnifex, Mental Cruelty, Ov Sulfur, Signs of the Swarm, Suicide Silence, and To The Grave, have all been on my playlists. I’m safely adding The Convalescence as well. Not only does this album prove deathcore is not over, but it’s the band’s finest hour. If you’re even a little into the style, check this out.

Caelen Stokkermans cover art? Check.

Blackened Technical deathcore? Check.

Cool band moniker? Check.

Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) mix/master? Check

Album title I can identify with? Check.

Yeah, I’m definitely reviewing and digging this.

Portugal’s The Voynich Code is named after the Voynich Manuscript, a mysterious 15th-century codex full of images and writings that have yet to be fully decoded (I highly recommend you click the Wikipedia link above and read about it).

But more importantly, they play my favorite form of metal right now, and Insomnia is their second album, and as far as the genre goes, it’s a pretty solid entry that’s along the lines of quality as countrymate’s Downfall of Mankind and their debut Vile Birth from 2022.

Fans of symphonic/blackened deathcore (I’m not sure of the difference at this point), should already be purchasing this album, as I did as soon as I heard the first single “The Last Grain” (a bonus track on the CD version od the album). It’s got all the standard genre tropes, all done pretty solidly; technical blasts, breakdowns, orchestration, dual vocals, and like label mates Carrion Vael, a bit more of a metalcore or a The Black Dahlia Murder vibe to the guitar tone and slicing, speedier melodic riffs (i.e. “A Flicker of Life”).

Not groundbreaking by any means, but certainly very enjoyable. The orchestration (which appears to be much improved and increased since the 2017 debut album Aqua Vitae) has a nice blackened atmosphere, not super overbearing, bombastic, or dramatic, but a nice undercurrent to the leads and riffs (i.e. “Homecoming”, “Insomnia”- an instrumental track), which are a solid balance of blasts and breakdowns, though certainly, these guys are not as breakdown-obsessed as some of their peers.

All 12 tracks (including two bonus tracks), deliver the goods, and though not quite as bludgeoning as Downfall of Mankind, deliver a few standout tracks, especially in the album’s midsection and later stages with “Hell’s Black Breath”, arguably the album’s fiercest track, “The Art of War”, “A Dying Age” and “A Letter to my Future Self”.

Unique Leader has taken a few knocks for being a deathcore label of late (the recent Kraanium album should alleviate those concerns), but when they are releasing quality albums in the genre from the likes of these guys as well as Crown Magnetar, Worm Shepherd, Osiah, Bonecarver, and A Wake in Providence, they can be as deathcore a they want.

The last two albums, 2019s World War X and 2021s Graveside Confessions, flip-flopped between more Whitechapel-styled deathcore and slightly more blackened deathcore that they introduced with 2010s Hell Chose Me respectively. But to be honest, they have seen bands like Lorna Shore, Mental Cruelty, Worm Shepherd, and such, take the style they sort of help propagate and run with it as the genre exploded in 2020-2021.

Well, with album number 9, the long-running act (who, as I’ve said many times, are some of the nicest dudes in metal) has finally said ‘FUCK THIS!”, and finally fully committed to the full-on blackened /symphonic bombastic deathcore that they virtually help start and have hinted at for a long time now, and delivered an absolutely killer album, that is arguably the best album of their long career.

Drummer/founder Shawn Cameron has finally fully embraced the symphonic elements after half of their albums merely teased, dabbled, or flirted with it, and his keyboards/choirs now completely swathe almost every element of the already stout deathcore, that the band has perfected since 2007s Dead In My Arms.

From the opener “Torn in Two” to standout closer “Heaven and Hell All at Once” you can tangibly feel the band is angrier and more concerted to deliver a killer album after being a bit of an afterthought in the genre they arguably help kick-off. The vastly more bombastic keyboards and choirs gloss every song with a dark, blackened, epic aura that’s perfected for the likes of the title track, one of the most complete songs the band has ever written, “Crowned in Everblack”, “The Pathless Forest”, “How the Knife Gtes Twisted” , and the aforementioned standout “Heaven and Hell All at Once”, another one of the most epic songs the band has ever delivered.

And of course, it has heaps of breakdowns in the likes of “Death’s Forgotten Children” (featuring Chelsea Grin’s Tom Barber),”Infinite Night Terror” and “Bleed More”, Scott Lewis’ growls, and screeches, some melodic leads from new guitarist Neal Tiemann and a massive Jason Suecof production.

Carnifex has finally delivered the album they have teased for over a decade and released the best album of their career and I cant think of a more deserving group of guys.

However, they also had some unfortunate Lorna Shore-ish similarities outside of the music, when they had ……issues…. with then vocalist Lucca Schmerler. And, like Lorna  Shore who revealed new vocalist Will Ramos to the world with “To the Hellfire”, Mental Cruelty released the first single “Symphony of a Dying Star” with new vocalist Lukas Nikolia, earlier this year.

Now, while Lukas delivered a fine vocal performance with his rasps, shrieks, and now standard super deep, snarled, pig squeals (and some decent clean vocals which surface on a couple of other songs too), it was the band’s slight shift in musical direction that divided fans a little. The band leaned even harder into the ‘blackened’ part of blackened deathcore, with even more epic orchestration and more grandiose, bouncy, melodic 90s black/death metal riffage and structures akin to say a band like Assemble the Chariots. Some fans even compared them to Children of Bodom. A legit gripe/comparison if you ask me. Personally, I thought it was an utterly brilliant song, and remains one of my favorite songs of the year. But how is the rest of the album?

Absolutely fucking phenomenal.

The ‘blacker’ elements are indeed noticeably increased throughout, with some brilliant symphonic bombast, riffs, and time changes that could easily have been on any of Dimmu Borgir’s classic three-word albums of the late 90s/early 00s. Just listen to the killer opener “Obsessis a Daemonio” or the opening march of “Forgotten Kings” (with a video cementing the black metal imagery with robes and corpsepaint), pure black metal of “Nordlys” and especially personal favorites the blisteringly melodic “Mortal Shells” (the little orchestral flourishes are just to die for- and show the band’s nuanced evolution) and the aforementioned soaring grandeur of “Symphony of a Dying Star”, which transitions gorgeously from the acoustic interlude “Zwielicht” (twilight), with the same refrain- it’s brilliantly done.

That all said, Mental Cruelty does still manage to deliver plenty of crumbling, overbearing modern deathcore breakdowns as well (“Forgotten Kings” in particular has a fucking massive breakdown), though they tend to feel a bit shoehorned in considering the direction of 80% of the material. And sometimes they do tend to get into more ’emotional’ Lorna Shore-ish territory with some of the more standard deathcore structures like “Pest”, “Arrogance of Agony” or “A Tale of Salt and Light” which has some melodies and riffs that come dangerously close to sounding like something on Pain Remains, though still excellent songs.

But as a complete album, which ends with the still killer, 7 +minute “A Tale of Salt and Light”,  Zwielicht is clearly the album to beat in the blackened /symphonic deathcore genre in 2023, and adds to Century Media’s standout deathcore stable. The only competition I see comes from Worm Shepherd, but it’s going to take something truly special to top this as  Zwielicht has album-of-the-year potential.

And honestly, it probably should have got more attention but then Lorna Shore happened, Mental Cruelty happened, Worm Shepherd happened, and Shadow of Intent happened. And then 1,234 other bands playing the style happened. And When Plagues Collide got kinda buried in the landslide of the genre explosion in 2020, despite a damn fine album.

I actually lost track of the band for a while, until a couple of singles popped up on Spotify and online deathcore groups, and reminded me these guys were still around and on album number 2, these guys have elevated themselves into the upper echelon of the genre with the likes of Worm Shepherd, Downfall of Mankind Shadow of Intent, Bonecarver and such.

As a brisk 32 minutes, there’s no wasted time here as the 8 songs all deliver the same orchestra/choir-filled, bombastic, breakdown-filled, demon vocal template delivered by all the above-mentioned bands.

The aforementioned orchestration and choirs are the best ones I’ve heard so far this year in the genre. I’m not sure who is credited with the composing, but they have a Francesco Ferrini-styled epic grandiose bombast- especially the choirs. In particular the likes of standouts “Death in Progress” (featuring Aborted’s Sven de Caluwe), “God Complex”, “The Glutton” or “Devourer of Memories”, where everything comes together, including great song writing, to be pretty goddamn top-notch.

And of course, there are breakdowns, and certainly, the above tracks (especially, “Death in Progress”, “The Glutton” and ‘Devourer of Memories”), others like the blistering “The Grand Mouth of Hell” have them and of course, they do the whole get slower and heavier thing while the vocals of Wouter Dergez get more and more demonic. The Lorna Shore effect is here in spades.

These guys deserved to be signed (Lacerated Enemy?) as in a year that’s seen a lot of newer, independent and lower-tier projects release excellent material, (mostly eps or digital only),  An Unbiblical Paradigm is on par with last year’s releases from Bonecarver, Synestia, Hanging the Hihilist, Downfall of Mankind and Shadow of Intent and by far the best blackened /symphonic deathcore record of 2023….so far.

Mental Cruelty– what ya got?

Dawn of the Serpent is the band’s (delayed, mostly due to COVID) debut release, and was produced by Shadow of Intent‘s Chris Wiseman, so there is some immediate credibility here. But the band’s delivery of the suddenly saturated blackened /symphonic deathcore is damn solid on its own merit and up there with other like-minded bands like Downfall of Mankind, Hanging the Nihilist, Bonecarver, The Archaic Epidemic, Hurakan, Worm Shepherd and of course, Shadow of Intent (I’m trying really hard not to use Lorna Shore here……lay off).

The 5 excellent songs all deliver plenty of the genre’s tenets; plenty of atmospheric orchestration, lots of big burly breakdowns, impressive dual demonic vocals (are there any bands of this style that don’t have killer vocalists?), and blackened blast beats. The recipe is well and truly followed but also cooked pretty well. From the opener “Horsemen Part 1: War”  through lumbering “Keres”,  and “Mortifer” (featuring Worm Shepherd‘s Devin Duarte) to the impressive, epic, more restrained closer “Dawn of the Serpent”, you get exactly what you want if you, like me, are a fan of the genre.

Listen, I get it, the genre is indeed over-saturated right now, especially since the Lorna Shore glow-up. But while I keep getting big-name bands like When Plagues Collide, Worm Shepherd (who just released a killer single “The Frozen Lake pt 2”, and its fucking devastating), and Mental Cruelty delivering kickass music (and if their new song “Symphony of a Dying Star” is anything to go by, it will be a game changer) and more unheralded bands like this or Unhallowed Void‘s Euthanasia EP (a duo from Scotland no less), I’m still all about it.

And for me, that “good thing” is blackened/symphonic deathcore, and I can have as much of it as I fucking want.

And Spain’s Bonecarver has delivered yet another killer addition to the genre to go with the 2022 onslaught of releases from elite acts like Lorna Shore, Worm Shepherd, Shadow of Intent, and A Wake in Providence and killer, second-tier bands like Hanging the Nihilist, Art of Attrition, Dismebodied Tyrant and Downfall of Mankind.

Bonecarver hinted at this shift on their 2021 debut, Evil, a solid brutal death metal/deathcore cross-over album. On the track “Mallevs Malificarvm” they dabbled with some epic orchestral/choral elements that were a bit out of place on the rest of the album’s more standard bludgeoning. And on Carnage Funeral, there’s is no dabbling, they have gone full-on symphonic/blackened deathcore as Mental Cruelty did on last year’s  A Hill to Die Upon. Let’s just go ahead and call it the Lorna Shore syndrome shall we?

Like Hurakan did earlier this year on Via Aeterna by bringing in a composer (Philippe Parickmiler), someone by the name of Ruben K (not drummer Ruben Contreras?) has been brought in to add to Bonecarver’s already solid backbone of brutal death metal/slam /deathcore. And he has a very Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) air about his compositions and choral/symphonic elements- very dramatic and movie score-like, and it’s really well done.

Look no further than the opening title track and first single, “Carnage Funeral” as well as the very cool orchestration that litters second track “Ancient Atrocity”, urgently epic bursts, and huge breakdown of “Pillars of Tragedy” and the absolutely rollicking, beefy bombast of personal favorites “Morgue Desecrator” and “Horror Disorder”, which comes across like Cradle of Filth meets Aborted. Closer “Bereavement” has some subtle some Middle Eastern atmospheres, but then also delivers the album’s most blistering, straight-up bruising number to end things with a solid throat punch.

On top of that, there are solid all-around performances, including a particularly feral array of shrieks and growls from Fernando Del Villar, a punishing production from guitarist Alex Tena and a strong, understated drum performance from Ruben Contreras.

The album does not outlast its stay either at a svelte, perfect 38 minutes of barbaric, orchestrated brutality that really hits the spot and puts these guys in that solid second tier of blackened/symphonic deathcore/death metal mentioned above.

In fairness, A Wake In Providence was a pretty darn good band while Ramos was still in the fray, and their 2019 album, The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon, is pretty damn good (and as I stated in my review on the latest Lorna Shore album, Ramos was nothing special on that album). So after Ramos’ departure and that whole thing, A Wake in Providence found a  replacement in Adam Mercer from Entombed in the Abyss, buckled down, and knocked out a fucking killer album of their own that gives Pain Remains a run for its money.

Eternity is REALLY fucking good. it may not come with the hype of Pain Remains, but I tell you what, it puts A Wake In Providence in the elite echelon of blackened/symphonic deathcore with Lorna Shore, Worm Shepherd, Shadow of Intent, and Sin Deliverance ( just my humble opinion of course). It does not come with the full orchestral bombast of some of their peers, but brilliantly infuses epic, rousing choral, and orchestral arrangements into a more progressive, ambitious form of deathcore.

Mercer delivers an excellent performance with ample bellows and screams and he’s aided by guitarist and orchestral composer D’Andre Tyre who delivers an element some of their peers don’t have;  emotive clean vocals and they are well placed and well done unlike Ben Duerr’s semi sung attempts on Shadow of Intent‘s most recent effort.

Musically, while Lorna Shore, is about a continual over-the-top bludgeoning, AWIP has a little more control and variety, and the symphonic elements are more black metal, cinematic and tempered as opposed to Lorna Shore‘s pure bombast. Just listen to the opener ” An Odyssey Through The River (Overture)” and its follow up “The Horror ov The Old Gods” or the personal favorites “We Are Eternity”, and  “The Book ov The Eldritch (Second Movement)”, where the symphonic elements build and ebb with dramatic, movie score like pacing. The choirs in particular are superbly used throughout the album to build up a subtle sense of dread and a more tense theatrical atmosphere for example “Siamo Legati Dal Terrore” and the start of “The Book ov The Eldritch (Second Movement)”.

Of course, the album has plenty of genre tenets… and by that I mean there are plenty of hefty breakdowns and blast beats, with a killer production but it’s wrapped up in really well-done, varied songwriting and structures, that honestly, Lorna Shore could learn a little from at times. And not to overdo the Lorna Shore mentions and comparisons, Eternity has an epic, damn good “Pain Remains, I, II, III”- like trilogy of its own in “The Hunt ov The Wraith (First Movement)”, “The Book ov The Eldritch (Second Movement)” and “The Court ov The Trinity (Final Movement)”…. so there’s that.

A Wake in Providence and Lorna Shore are going to be inextricably tied together for a while, but I have to hand it to A Wake in Providence, Unique Leader, and Adam Mercer, as Eternity is a brilliant album that stands alone regardless of those ties and comes really close to unseating Pain Remains as the year’s top effort in the blackened/symphonic deathcore genre.

Way back in 2015 I reviewed a pretty nondescript EP, Maleficium, from this New Jersey band called Lorna Shore. It was Ok, odd band name, and a few keyboards, but nothing really stood out. The same can be said for the band’s debut album, Psalms in 2015. It was Ok, the occasional keyboards were a nice touch at the time. Then, I didn’t even review 2017s Flesh Coffin.

Then there was the delayed  Immortal on new label, Century Media which saw vocalist former Signs of the Swarm vocalist CJ McCreery replace Tom Barber (now in Chelsea Grin) and guitarist/composer Andrew ‘O Conner joins the fray and its the album that put Lorna Shore truly on the map, despite the McCreery nastiness (who performed magnificently on the album FWIW) . ‘O Conner’s addition cannot be understated, as his more upfront, symphonic orchestration absolutely elevated Immortal and Lorna Shore to something more bombastic and special, and in hindsight Immortal should have been my album of the year as opposed to third place.

But I don’t think anyone predicted what would happen next.

As I mentioned, some issues (I’ll let you research and form your own opinions) led to McCreery leaving the band (he has since formed a not-so cryptically named project Immortal Disfigurement) and Lorna Shore found themselves in a bit of limbo, looking for yet another vocalist.  Will Ramos, formerly of A Wake in Providence (themselves a very solid blackened deathcore act) joined the fray and he was revealed to the world on a new song called “To The Hellfire”  from subsequent EP, And I Return to Nothingness. And the metal world and gods took notice because the song, the band, and particularly the vocalist BLEW THE FUCK UP, like no other band in recent memory.

The song currently has over 11 million views on Youtube and has been used at Detroit Red Wings games. Will Ramos became an instant internet sensation with numerous vocal coach reactions and even had a camera shoved down his throat. And listen, I’ve met Will, he is SUPER nice, but there’s nothing on his A Wake In Providence performance that really stood out to me from the multitude or other deathcore vocalists, but holy fuck did he turn into a (literal) monster for the  AIRTN EP. And the combination of Lorna Shore‘s new full-on epic, blackened deathcore sound, and Ramo’s voice had an effect on the metal collective universe like I have not seen in ages. I mean when the middle-aged check-out lady at the grocery store recognizes my Lorna Shore T-shirt and tells me she loves the vocalist, you truly have arrived. That all said, while Ramos may get all the hype (which is certainly deserved)- I’ll again reiterate the importance of O’Conner’s orchestral contributions here, as they are equally, if not more impactful on the album, as Ramos’s voice.

Not even mentioning the genre ‘blackened/symphonic’ deathcore explosion since Immortal– including a shit ton of clones (though some of them like Worm Shepherd, Sin Deliverance, Art of Attrition, Assemble the Chariots, Downfall of Mankind and Hanging the Nihilist are really good) and some bands even just said ‘fuck it’ and went full-on blackened and orchestral to essentially mimic Lorna Shore’s sound (Mental Cruelty, Bonecarver, Hurakan).

But that said, there were some critics and to be fair, they were moderately correct, in that the 3 new songs on the EP were a bit ‘samey’. But let’s be honest, founders and main songwriters Adam De Micco and Austin Archey have been playing a variation of the same structures since “Fvneral Moon” from Flesh Coffin (orchestral intro, haunting melody line, blast beat, huge breakdown, key change, repeat, but make the breakdown slower and heavier the next time and have Ramos tun into a pig demon). And personally, it kicks ass.  But we will circle back to this in a bit.

And that brings us to Pain Remains. I initially was a bit leery due to the cover and more commercial logo/font used on the cover, expecting a Deafheaven-like veer into commercial realms due to the instant stardom. But when the band released the first 3 songs “Sun/Eater”, “Into the Earth” and “Cursed to Die”, my fears were alleviated as they were definitely still Lorna Shore from the EP. But it went both ways as the three songs were pretty much-reworked riffs and orchestration from the EP (I  mean listen to the main riff from new song “Cursed to Die” and “And I Return to Nothingness”). BUT I still really enjoyed all three songs- especially “Cursed to Die”. They both deliver exactly the kind of dramatic orchestration and heaviness that made the EP so good. However, there were rumblings that Lorna Shore had run out of ideas and riffs.

And then as if to literally say ‘fuck you’ to the haters, they dropped the single “Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames” and they almost broke the internet again, and definitely broke me. A virtual deathcore love song/ballad about losing a loved one, and if you have lost a loved one, it absolutely kicks you in the fucking nuts. Ramos showed a little more range and variety and the tear-inducing subject matter and chorus showed Lorna Shore could skull-fuck you right in the feels.

Then right before the album’s release, we got “Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear”,  which confronts the anger, grief, and despair that follows the loss of a loved one. And it’s clearly the best thing they released up to the release of the album, mixing the intensity of their tried and sound with the emotion of “Pain Remains I”. And even before adding to parts I and  III, is the best thing they have ever done, but more on that later.

The only downside is that half the album was revealed before the release, leaving little to the imagination.

So just how is the rest of the album? How are “Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer”, “Apotheosis”, “Wrath”, “Soulless Existence” and the last song of the “Pain Remains” trilogy?

Absolutely Fucking Brilliant……and that’s not including the last of the “Pain Remains” songs, which deserves its own paragraph.

Do they all still mostly follow the same formula as the EP, that I listed above? Yeah, but holy fuck are they good at it, they have increased the dynamics, mood, and variety a little, and especially the even more improved orchestration/choral arrangements which at times are downright knee-wilting. For example, the opener “Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer” sets the mood perfectly with dramatic, strings and choirs, and keys and delivers a standard, brilliant Lorna song, but the keys just hit a lot harder. ‘O Conner has clearly upped his game for this album as has Adam De Micco with some really nice lead work throughout the album. And the Josh Schroeder production as downright HUGE, with everything sounding absolutely loud as hell, and the breakdowns rattle everything in a small radius.

After the three previously released songs, which are very good, if standard Lorna Shore songs, we get “Soulless Existence”  and it changes things up a bit with a more controlled restrained, and moody/somber gait that breaks the formula, showing that they can do it if they want, with the sense of loss that permeates the title track’s saga starting to creep in and show there’s some real emotional depth at play on this album.

Then we get “Wrath” and “Apotheosis” which are definitely and recognizably more standard, still blistering, breakdown-filled Lorna Shore songs cut from the band’s distinct cloth laid forth on the  AIRTN EP, with Ramos gurgling and as moist as ever and underrated drummer Austin Archey absolutely killing it behind the kit (we need to start mentioning him up there with USDM’s best drummers IMO). and my favorite, non-Pain Remains track, “Apotheosis” even has the same sort of melodic, triumphant, choir-filled chorus as “And I Return to Nothingness”. And those that enjoyed Ramos’ demonic squeals and grunts at the end of “To The Hellfire” will no doubt enjoy that last couple of devastatingly heavy minutes of “Wrath”.

So, let’s talk about the 3 stanza, 20-minute title track. Holeeeeeeee shit, it is good. It could have been its own self-contained EP IMO. We know about the emotional Part I, and my favorite track on the album, Part II,  where  De Micco delivers arguably the album’s most dynamic, memorable riff and mingles it with Part I’s emotive gravitas, climaxing with the album’s most impactful, emotional key change towards the end of the song ( the little two-note choir that starts the pre-chorus and final choral peak gets me every time). But Part III, “In a Sea of Fire”, good fucking lord. It’s 9 minutes and mixes all the blistering Lorna Shore elements with much more cinematic bombast, and emotional heft and its last 3 minutes climaxes with the refrain that started the gut-wrenching Part I and its chorus, cleverly tying all three songs together. It, when combined with the first 2 parts, shows the improvement in dynamics and emotion that the band has developed since Immortal, and shows a band possibly at the peak of their skills and songwriting ability. And I really want to see the video that ends the trilogy of videos that they did for parts I and II.

(*****Side note: if you or anyone you know is dealing with mental health issues and /or thoughts of suicide, please seek help:  National suicide prevention hotline: 800-273-8255. *****)

Lorna Shore certainly didn’t invent this current Blackened/Symphonic deathcore style as the likes of Carnifex or, Shadow of Intent, I Shall Devour and  Until We Die were doing it way before Immortal exploded things, but since Immortal and with Pain Remains, they have perfected and set the standard for it.  As a result, Pain Remains will be the bar others try to reach for a long, long time and a genre-defining, dare I even say ‘modern classic’  album for this generation.

I just hope this doesn’t signal a hop to a bigger label and a watering down of their sound in the future as they no doubt approach levels of mainstream stardom ( I predict a late-night show appearance for “Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames” at some point) a metal band hasn’t seen in a while.

Alas, “LV -426” is just an interlude,  and while Monarch is certainly sci-fi and alien based, it’s not all about ‘those‘ aliens, but nasty aliens and cosmic lifeforms in general and all the ooze, slime, and gore that comes with them. But, it’s still a solid blackened deathcore album, even if the blackened/symphonic elements are much more industrial/sci-fi sounding than the more purely orchestral sound used by their peers and label mates.

The deathcore element is a pretty sturdy backbone that’s well done, if hardly game-changing. The production is super clean and clear, it has ample amounts of technical blasting, heaps of thick grooves, and heavy breakdowns along with the standard screams, bellows, and brees vocals of Isaac Trullols Caño. The keyboards and programming, as I mentioned earlier are far less dramatic/movie soundtrack/ theatrical than most of the bands playing this style now. Think a more Fear Factory style of keyboards.

That said, I’m not quite feeling this quite as much as their label mates Downfall of Mankind but right around there with Hurakan. It does have its moments and a couple of tracks caught my ear, namely the pretty vicious standout,  “Dead Sprawl”, lurching  “Monarch” and the more ambitious 6-minute closer “Worldeater”, but for me, the sci-fi atmosphere isn’t quite jiving with the music, though the opening of the aforementioned “Worldeater” does get it right and has a more purely ‘orchestral’ tone as well an impressive appearance from Bonecarver’s Fernando del Villar.

A decent effort and entry into the genre, but I guess I’ll have to keep listening to Xenotheory‘s Dawn of an Eyeless Realm for my Alien-based death metal/deathcore in 2022.

Hailing From Denmark, Hanging the Nihilist has one EP, 2019s Crow to their name. It’s solid, but Prophetic Blasphemy, sees a marked improvement in all aspects of their sound as they’ve had a couple of years to see and hear what their many many peers are delivering. So they upped the ante, and I’m comfortable putting these guys in that tier with the above-mentioned bands, maybe even up there with Worm Shepherd, as Prophetic Blasphemy is an excellent example of a genre that shows no signs of letting up.

HTN delivers everything all the other bands do, so you know exactly what to expect; dual demonic vocals, massive breakdowns, blasts, etc.  All well played and well produced for maximum carnage. But where HTN has a little edge is the keyboards of Berna Baki, (who cut her teeth doing piano covers of deathcore songs on Youtube, i recommend you go look for them), as with Crow, she adds a more classical, piano-based, and more blackened atmosphere to the proceedings ( along with an array of choirs, strings, and brass). I get a bit of a Kristen Randall (ex Winds of Plague) or Adrienne Cowan (Winds of Plague, Seven Spires) vibe. And that is high praise indeed.  Sure, all the other bands have something similar, but where, say, Hurakan uses them as more of a backdrop, like the way Shadow of Intent uses Francesco Ferrini, here, it’s more cinematic and movie score sounding, and it works wonderfully alongside the standard, if still well done, pummeling deathcore.

It all comes together as something that definitely feels more classically ‘blackened’, not just deathcore with synths. After the requisite atmospheric instrumental intro, “Prelude to Prophecy”, which is one of the more epic ones I’ve heard in the genre, you get “Enter the Procession” and “Inevitable Dissent”, two absolute barn burners to start the album. “The Bloodwell Scriptorium” gives a little respite with more restrained pacing and ivory tinkling from Baki. However, its shortlived as “Labour of the Sacred Bodies”, delivers a blistering number with a killer, low end, piano-backed ending breakdown.

The rest of the album, is all pretty damn good, with the more dramatic, melodic “The Empress’s Wager”, one of those breakdowns that get slower and nastier in “Their Desired Ascension”, a little interlude for Baki to shine in “Defilement Ensued”, and bulldozing closer “Hunted Through hell”, where admittedly things run together a bit.

Prophetic Blasphemy is somewhere between Downfall of Mankind‘s  Vile Birth and Worm Shepherd‘s Ritual Hymns, which has been my favorite entry in the genre of 2022. But let’s be honest, they are all placeholders until Lorna Shore‘s next album.

I think Downfall of Mankind do, as this Portuguese deathcore outfit is out to prove on their debut album, Vile Birth. Let’s be clear from the start. If you’re not into the recent symphonic deathcore resurgence, then you can stop reading…

Still here? Good. So, the question isn’t if they do something unique, but it’s if they bring the songs. The short answer is “yes…” After brief music box intro, “Beneath the Aftermath,” gets going with some suitably brutal vocals, including highs, lows, and of course the “brees.” Not Drew. What stands out is the chunkiness of the riff production and the excellent, yet subtle use of keys and choral, angelic vocals in the latter half.

Something that’s immediately apparent if you go through the track listing is the guest appearances. This is becoming a normal occurrence in the scene as it happens on 4 of the 9 tracks. Of note is an appearance by Julien Truchan of bree favorite, Benighted on track 4, “Vile Birth.” Besides the appearance itself, this track has a catchy guitar harmony and of course the use of some subtle keys. I must admit if you didn’t read his name on the track, you probably wouldn’t notice Julien’s presence.

Next up on the guest appearance list is on track 6, “For I am Terror,” which has Kyle Anderson of the much hyped, yet still somehow underrated Brand of Sacrifice, one of the best front men in the scene along with Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent. This track has more of a metalcore than deathcore chug. Yeah, I know that’s semantics. Maybe it’s because I recognize his voice, but his appearance stands out a little more. Overall, though, the track is a lot of the same with the subtle, well-placed keys, and it brings the brutality suitably.

The next track, “Maker’s Funeral,” stands out. It’s a little heavier than the rest up to this point and has a hardcore stomp. It’s also very easy to hear that bass rumbling in the background. The keys throughout are once again very subtle. Maybe it’s that hardcore “BLECH” that does it for me.

To close out the album, there’s another guest. This time it’s Luis Diaz of Counteractt, which I must admit is a band whose path I have yet to cross. That metalcore chug is back near the end, but the rest is a suitably driving deathcore track.

This is a fun, solid debut from Downfall of Mankind. It’s one of the better symphonic deathcore releases from this year, but that’s the rub. If the past two years were a towel, it would be so saturated that you would need to seriously just wash that fucking gross towel, man! It’s becoming very difficult to distinguish between bands. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the style, but I’m wondering how much longer this can last. Luckily, for now, I do still find enjoyment in the style, and Downfall of Mankind is a damn fine example.

And while those earlier efforts did have some spacy synths and (sometimes goofy) samples scattered around, on Via Aeterna, they have hired a composer, Philippe Parickmiler, to render the orchestration in a far more relevant, epic, and modern style, and the result is largely successful.

It’s easy to dismiss this ‘new era’ of Hurakan as a well-timed cash grab and jump to a genre that just fucking blown up over the last 2 years or so, but to their credit Via Aeterna is pretty solid. Not quite up there with the genre’s top tier acts like Lorna Shore, Carnifex, Shadow of Intent, Sin Deliverance or Worm Shepherd, (only my opinion of course), but certainly in that second tier ballpark with the likes of label-mates Downfall of Mankind or Victims, Hanging the Nihilist, Lie to the Silence, Dethrone the Corrupted, Third World Party, Gravewalker and such.

The more serious tone is well backed by Parickmiler’s dramatic orchestration, which while not Lorna Shore or Francesco Ferrini (Shadow of Intent, Fleshgod Apocalypse) levels of full-on, movie score grandiosity or the focal point of the music, it still delivers a nice sense of epic grandeur to the competent if standard deathcore that delivers ample breakdown-y bluster and blast beats, as well as the usual dual-layer growls and screeches in the vocal department (which also has a number of guest appearances for added credibility to the band’s makeover, thought you’d be hard-pressed to tell who appears where).

From dramatic opener “Imperium” (featuring Kyle Anderson of Brand of Sacrifice) through lumbering “Abyssal” (featuring Filip Danielsson from Humanity’s Last Breath) to closer “Via Aeterna” (feat. Raphaël Verguin from Psygnosis, Spectrale & Rïcïnn), the 9 songs all rumble and blast with ample heft, with the orchestration being more of a steady, ever-present subtle backdrop. But occasionally, when they are brought to the forefront such as the nice strings that start the moodier, instrumental title track, or the final stages of one of the album’s better tracks “Resurgence”, it’s pretty effective. That said, I’m not clamoring to revisit certain songs or moments as I have been with some of their top-level peers mentioned above (i.e. I’ve listened to Lorna Shore‘s “To The Hellfire”, many, many, many times).

A solid entry to a genre that’s in danger of oversaturation pretty soon, so the timing is just right and along with Downfall of Mankind‘s upcoming Vile Birth, show Lacerated Enemy as a solid player in the now vastly popular genre.