Deathcore bands are often seen by metal elitists as lazy or unskilled variants of their death metal counterparts. Instead of being praised for using sheer speed and technical precision, deathcore acts are mocked for relying on breakdowns, but on Quebec band Obliterate's first album for Unique Leader Records, the deathcore quintet find a solid middle ground between traditional death metal elements and their breakdown-laden sound.
"Impending Death" starts the album in familiar territory, bouncing between triplet breakdowns and thick, chugging riffs. "Aneurysm" sees the band mixing in some prog elements with atmospheric guitar riffs and a groovy, in-your-face bass line, while "I, Cerberus" taps into the band's death metal side with furious blast beats and some technical shredding. The band expand on their aggressive shredding on "In Devil's Care" and "Reconquered," which blend the band's beefy chugged-out breakdowns with raging solos and grinding speed.
Impending Death is a step above Obliterate's previous efforts and brings them into the fold of deathcore acts who can do more than mindlessly string together repetitive breakdowns, but the record isn't necessarily bringing much new to the table. It runs a little shorter than it should, but if you're looking for some groovy death metal, there are plenty of jams to be found here.
(Unique Leader)"Impending Death" starts the album in familiar territory, bouncing between triplet breakdowns and thick, chugging riffs. "Aneurysm" sees the band mixing in some prog elements with atmospheric guitar riffs and a groovy, in-your-face bass line, while "I, Cerberus" taps into the band's death metal side with furious blast beats and some technical shredding. The band expand on their aggressive shredding on "In Devil's Care" and "Reconquered," which blend the band's beefy chugged-out breakdowns with raging solos and grinding speed.
Impending Death is a step above Obliterate's previous efforts and brings them into the fold of deathcore acts who can do more than mindlessly string together repetitive breakdowns, but the record isn't necessarily bringing much new to the table. It runs a little shorter than it should, but if you're looking for some groovy death metal, there are plenty of jams to be found here.