Into the Killing Fields

There are a lot of bands that are remembered mostly for just one album. All Out War is often seen this way, but they have done so much more than just their 1998 landmark release, For Those Who Were Crucified, such as what many see as their masterpiece from 5 years later, Condemned to Suffer. They continue to be a force in first wave-style metalcore, releasing a new album even this year.

But for a decade or so starting in 2004, All Out War had a mostly unstable lineup, with separate sets of people on each release until their classic lineup came back together for the release of Dying Gods. 2010's Into the Killing Fields came out during this period of rotating musicians, and while it might at first seem that this would totally matter, it ends up kind of not being much to write home about in the end. This album is still All Out War, i.e. unadulterated first wave metalcore, through and through.

That being said, if you wanted anything more than "just" first wave metalcore, you will not be getting that. There isn't any math like one might hear from Deadguy or Converge, nor is there experimentation a la The Locust or Dillinger Escape Plan. I wouldn't blame some people for looking elsewhere because of this, but All Out War has never tried to advertise themselves as anything more than a band at the intersection of metal and hardcore.

The album starts off very strong and even catchy, especially Mercy Killer, which is one of the earwormiest songs they ever wrote. It never gets quite as catchy as that again, but never really gets worse either. First wave metalcore hallmarks are everywhere, like thrash-leaning metal riffs, hardcore breakdowns, throat-rending shrieks (and a few shouts) from Mike Score, and lyrics about society. The songs often start off with a thrashy riff or a more hardcore-inspired "building up to something" type of passage. Then, whichever type of riff did not make an appearance at first will be used for a prominent part like the verse or chorus. Track one, Defiance Through Fear, is like this, in that the intro is a build up and the verse is fast and thrashy. I will admit that this may sound formulaic, but it doesn't come across that way, except for a small subsection of sorta samey breakdowns. Other than that, most sections on here are rock solid and even catchy like Mercy Killer's chorus and the breakdowns in the middle of Apathetic Genocide and Still Crucified, which hearken back to their classic 1998 release.

The negatives include its length, which could have been reduced by 5 minutes or so. Celestial Rot and other albums of theirs around the 30 minute mark are the sweet spot for music like this. I'd wager that shaving 30 seconds off most of the songs on here wouldn't have hurt the album. I would also say that the B-side is weaker than the A-side, but not terribly so. Lastly, this album is "just" a good All Out War album, in that except for the one standout track, Mercy Killer, the album is entertaining the whole time, but not amazing. It's like a Screaming for Vengeance situation; not their greatest album, but there also isn't a bad track on it.

This album is not only generally good, but also good at still sounding like All Out War without most of the original members. It has pretty much everything an All Out War album needs, the production is suitably meaty with a prominent snare, and the songwriting is pretty consistent the whole time. I personally really like it, but I'm not sure if the band does, since it's unfairly shafted during live sets. They should include Mercy Killer at least, that would be awesome to see. All things considered, this is a solid album, and a great example of modern first wave done right.