Bloodlust

Modern metal has often been mocked for its over-reliance on gimmicky production and the playing being too tight and too mechanical for any soul to seep through. This album, and this band as a whole, do a decent job at walking that line. If modern metal has become completely robotic, this is merely a precursor to that style.

This album's strengths come in the form of a revolving door of riffs and rhythm changes that keep every song engaging. A good example of this is on the A-side, "When Everything Becomes Nothing," where the band runs through dozens of riffs with blast beat drumming and Anthony Gunnelis's haunting vocals. Much of this record can be categorized in the same way: the band constantly shifting from one tempo to another with the drums going absolutely manic behind rather simple guitar riffs. And although this does lead to the songs occasionally lacking coherence, the results are still refreshing compared to how overdone this style would become down the road. Here, the band at least manages to connect these instrumental changes with similar-sounding riffs as opposed to juxtaposing two completely different riffs next to each other.

The drumming does remain a highlight throughout the album's entirety, like on the crushing "Beneath Dying Skies," where the machine gun effect adds to the abrasive nature of the track. This is contrasted nicely with a calmer interlude in "The Black Death and It's Aftermath," which does showcase some aptitude in the track listing from the band. Other than hardcore fans of this genre, most listeners will want the occasional break from the madness that constitutes the majority of the music on this album, so an interlude is honestly a lifesaver from this album falling victim to the monotony of a lot of 21st century metal albums.

What's also inspiring about this album is that the breakdown sections don't take up too much space and are employed tactfully, though Through the Eyes of the Dead did come before this trope became a matter of critique for deathcore. When the band get into breakdowns, though, the results are favorable, like on the sprawling "Truest Shade of Crimson," which even displays a few brief moments of melody. The band's ability to incorporate sounds other than chugging riffs and rapid-fire drumming does add to the listenability of this album, even if these outside influences are few and far between. They are greatly appreciated when they sprout up.

Just as this album lacks any major pitfalls, it also lacks any major highlights, as is the case with much of the music in this genre. Even though the band cycles through tons of riffs and drumming patterns from one song to the next, the band does sound like it's running thin on ideas by the end of the album, and it does feel a little one-dimensional. But even with the lack of sonic diversity, this is still a pretty enjoyable album and certainly a seminal work for modern metal and the tech-death and deathcore scenes that birthed countless other bands.