Seven years ago, extreme metal titans Thy Art Is Murder and Fit For An Autopsy joined forces with The Acacia Strain for The Depression Sessions. Containing three brand new tracks and three covers of songs that helped inspire the bands, it was met with mixed reviews but the idea and concept was an incredibly promising one. Many expected a follow-up in the years that followed but nothing materialised – until now. Taking The Acacia Strain’s place for the long awaited follow-up, The Aggression Sessions, are British spin-kick instigators Malevolence. While not a direct replacement sound-wise for the Massachusetts nihilists, their brand of riff fueled hardcore should make for a lot of fun, especially with their choice of cover.
The first half of the EP is dedicated to three brand new tracks, one from each band. Australian deathcore veterans Thy Art Is Murder kick the EP off with their first new track since 2020’s standalone single ‘Killing Season’. Titled ‘Until There Is No Longer’, it’s a fun, if familiar, journey through the best aspects of their signature sound. Vocalist CJ McMahon is on his usual top form, and instrumentally there’s a maelstrom of breakneck drums and menacing riffs. Does it break new ground? No, but it will keep you going and sate the need for those frankly vicious CJ barks until anything more comes out of their camp.
Fit For An Autopsy bring the violence next with their brand of eco-aware thick, chunky deathcore that’s strayed further and further from its roots. As this band has grown over the last few years, the comparisons to Gojira have evolved far beyond just lyrical themes. Their sound is closing in on the French group for sheer enormity and heft, their riffs are of that “could flatten a small town” level and it’d be a massive shock if the band aren’t one of the next to break through to the next stage of venues. ‘Hellions’ is the name of their original contribution to this effort and it’s as hellish as the name suggests. Continuing the form they showed on 2022’s Oh What The Future Holds, the New Jersey collective paint a vivid, grim picture through their lyrics and back it up with an uncompromising sound. Hints of thrash, devastating blastbeats and grandiose flourishes show you don’t need keyboards to create one hell of an atmosphere.
Despite being relative newcomers to the scene ARXX have been making waves with their combination of upbeat punk spirit and slick pop production values for the last few years. On their debut album Ride or Die singer/guitarist Hanni Pidduck and drummer Clara Townsend polish their signature sound into a unique and powerful voice.
ARXX begin as they mean to go on with catchy, country rock infused opening track ‘Baby Uh Huh’. Channelling their inner Dolly Parton, Pidduck croons through a song that highlights the band’s unique voice with layers of guitars, reverb drenched vocals and punchy drums that cut through the mix. As one of the lighter, poppier tracks on the album, ‘Baby Uh Huh’ makes for an interesting statement of intent, gently preparing the listener for the coming alt-rock bangers.
One of the many standout tracks on Ride or Die is the single ‘Deep’. With a swaggering, staccato guitar riff and lilting vocals this track toes the line between ethereal pop and hard hitting modern rock for a unique, radio ready song. If there’s one track that sums up ARXX’s vibe it’s this, with sexually empowered lyrics, a catchy, danceable chorus and punchy rock instrumentation. If you only listen to one song from Ride or Die, make it this one.
Despite the futuristic sound and somewhat cyberpunk aesthetic, Severance preaches a return to a time where technology was less like a binding web of cables, ports and content, and more a way for us to connect with the Earth on a spiritual level. Netherlands manage to create a sound that is both anchored in futuristic effects drenched psychedelia whilst maintaining the primal essence with the intense tribalistic drumming of David Keith. The duo of Keith (drums) and Timo Ellis (vocals/guitar) draw attention to the issues with unchecked rampant technological expansion and capitalist attitudes towards the mass consumption, whilst promoting a return to the more ritualistic ways of the past.
The title track, ‘Severance’, goes from Mastodon to Tame Impala, and back again all in the space of a four minute slab the weight of Sisyphus’ rock. The blistering opening flurry drops into a chord heavy Black Sabbath like riff, coupled with Ozzy Osbourne-esque vocals and shouted hardcore style reports. The reverb drenched caterwauling comes to a head as the track builds up to a crescendo in a way that could be easily mistaken for a Yob track. The vocals change once again to take on the essence of the great Mike Schiedt as the song concludes with Ellis screaming into the abyss.
Kingsmen are here and ready to deliver. Bones Don’t Lie is a solid blend of old school and new school metalcore influence with sprinkles of rock; guaranteed to attract old and new fans alike. By pulling influence from what sounds like Breaking Benjamin and Parkway Drive and mixing it with the sounds of bands such as We Came As Romans and Five Finger Death Punch, there is a tremendous amount to unpack here.
Within the first few tracks, Kingsmen really show the listener the heavy Breaking Benjamin influence we were talking about. And with title track “Bones Don’t Lie” and “Trial By Fire” being those first few tracks, we get that taste right out of the gates. With heavy riffs and some soaring vocals, these guys put on display exactly what they’re going for this record. Or so one would think. Because with track 5 “Memory”, they come in with an almost Enter Shikari style synth before dropping in with what could pass as a newer Parkway Drive single. Already confusing the listener with such genre bending styles, they decide to add an almost deathcore style breakdown to close out the track.
The pacing of A Violent Truth is superb, with each new section evolving sharply into the next. Opener ‘Poison Soil’ showcases vocalist Tom’s impressive range, moving between a snarl, growl and a banshee scream at will. The lyrics perfectly capture that post-pandemic blend of anxiety and impotent rage, with much of the ire directed at the insidious rise of the alt-right and contemporary fascism. Every word has been carefully considered to inflict maximum damage on these faceless foes, and they’re delivered with a conviction and intensity that the rest of the band more than match.
This record is at its best when Allfather make their signature turn from glacial, considered doom-mongering into raw, pummelling aggression. It’s a move that occurs a few times throughout A Violent Truth but it’s always pulled out of the bag at the perfect moment, continually building tension before brutally breaking it to pieces. It’s a testament to the band that they can shift the tone of songs so effortlessly – where in lesser hands these songs would sound scattered and unfocussed, the pure venom and conviction the songs are injected with here make the blend of influences sound totally authentic and natural. The only loss of momentum is when the barrage of riffs gives way to the occasional guitar solo, which seem to serve little purpose in the wider context of the album.
To move forward, first you must look inward. After a chaotic few years where the outstanding success of Cannibal was never truly celebrated because of the COVID pandemic preventing touring and the departure of founding guitarist and vocalist Jason Cameron in 2021, Bury Tomorrow have had to weather a significant storm. Faced with the reality of potentially calling it a day, Bury Tomorrow decided to overcome their adversity and move forward. After looking deeply inwards and reflecting on who they were alongside recruiting the duo of Tom Prendergast (vocalist/keyboards) and Ed Hartwell (guitars) to split Cameron’s once solo duties. This has allowed the band to carve a different path, experiment and expand, and the final result of this perseverance and resilience is The Seventh Sun.
With a refreshed mindset and a new line up, The Seventh Sun is the most honest and best version of Bury Tomorrow that people have ever heard. The album is stitched together with thematic threads of positivity, possibility alongside having inner strength and determination to carry on fighting for the things you love whilst operating in absolute chaos. With this in mind, The Seventh Sun is a very passionate, powerful and emotive album, and we see a new side to Bury Tomorrow musically. The awareness the band has a unit and the self-awareness they had individually knowing that things had to change, to progress and to remove them from their comfort zone is prominent throughout the album. With songs like ‘Begin Again,’ ‘Recovery’ and ‘Care’ emphasising this point, there is no doubt that this album will resonate deeply with fans old and new.
