Unleashing an unholy barrage of unbridled chaos, Spite’s ruthlessly brutal approach to deathcore has earned them a fearsome reputation across the USA and beyond. With innovative riffs and production, Spite’s boisterous and bruising, which sound that incorporates elements of death metal, metallic hardcore and a small dose of industrial, sees them as early innovators in within the new resurgence of deathcore that is currently taking place in scenes across the world. This has earned them a spot on this year’s Impericon ‘Never Say Die Tour!’ alongside the likes of Suicide Silence and After The Burial. Now the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, Dedication To Flesh, is about to be let loose to ravage the world.
First things first, you will feel your face contort in a whole host of ways as your appreciate the many ooff moments that this album has. Dedication To Flesh sees Spite up the ante as the band move away from a more hardcore inclined way of writing to a more deathcore centric focus. Constructing bigger and more punchier riffs with infectious grooves that will get you swinging your fists with fury. While the band have incorporated more atmospheric elements in previous releases, Dedication To Flesh has a more unique atmosphere when compared to The Root Of All Evil and Nothing Is Beautiful. In what can only be described as the disembodied voices of lost souls stuck in the devilish purgatory of the modern world, the atmospherics that Spite has utilised throughout the album creates an intense and eerie soundscape, as heavily chugged riffs loom over you like a psychotic surgeon looking to rearrange your face with a terrifying full teeth smile of glee. Wether this is a damming commentary on the state of the world or a brutal alternate reality, Spite’s visceral enrapture alone is enough to terrify you.
As with many albums that have been released over the last two years, this one is of course impacted by the pandemic. Over the lockdowns it is apparent that Spite wanted to expand their sound and raise their own bar to new heights. Dedication To Flesh is heavier, darker and significantly more malicious. With momentums rage, Spite have diversified their sound better than they could have hoped for. The ominous opening voice heard on ‘Lord Of The Upside Down’ sets the tone for the album in the most haunting way, as the disembodied and crackling voice gives way to save riffing that drills into your cerebral cortex without mercy. Eventually fading out with intensely spine tingling spectral voices. Another example of this expanded and eerie sound development is heard on ‘Made To Please’, ’Some Things You Should Know…’ and ‘The Most Ugly’. Haunting snippets of suffering make you feel all kinds of uncomfortable, especially with the albums later interlude ‘Sounds For The Descent’.
Outside of this, Dedication To Flesh is a ballistic and highly proficient demonstration of the new way in which deathcore is reinventing itself. Incorporating more and more elements from metallic hardcore with varying dynamic changes and more impactful discordance within the heavy chugs makes this album exciting to listen to. The creative production sees Spite split the different vocals styles between left and right, giving them more space to breathe as well as creating a double skull splitting assault of gutturals and higher pitched screams.
Overall, Spite’s highly anticipated fourth album ticks all the boxes for a solid new age deathcore album and more. A visceral, rage charged album full of darkness and sinister intent, Dedication To Flesh feels like a brutal reinvention of Spite that will put them amongst the big guns in the deathcore scene.