Depths Of Hatred - Inheritance - review
Depths Of Hatred - Inheritance - review
Tracklist
01. Enslaved Through Lineage02. Sadistic Trials
03. Pulsating Rhythm
04. Fastidious Imitation
05. Drop Of Red
06. Illusive Obsession
07. The Gift Of Consciousness
08. Shivers
09. Inheritance
10. The End Of Ourselves
11. Emerging As One
A review by
Troy Killjoy July 01, 2021
Depths Of Hatred haven't yet crossed the threshold into metal mainstream territory a la provincial compatriots Kataklysm or Cryptopsy, as they're perhaps better known to those familiar with the likes of Despised Icon and Beneath The Massacre, but there was a time when that possibility wasn't unthinkable. Hellborn, the quintet's sophomore release, showcased significant improvement in the songwriting department compared to their debut just two years prior, elevating their status as a legitimate contender among their peers. With a nuanced balance of melody and brutality, their catchy and technical take on the deathcore genre wasn't an inherently unique approach, but it did sound specific to them. Unfortunately, that linear progression would come to an abrupt stop with a rather jarring shift in vocal responsibilities, as bearded beast Dominic D.D. came to be replaced by current frontman William Arseneau.
Newly appointed vocalists are often accompanied by complaints of stylistic shifts -- despite there not typically being great involvement in that area -- and in this instance it appears that Depths Of Hatred wanted to invite Arseneau in to their established persona as opposed to developing a new one to benefit him. This creates a somewhat problematic (or at least divisive) formula, as anyone hoping for a continuation of Hellborn will be granted some degree of satisfaction musically, but the vocal deviation is substantial enough for the change-averse to completely dismiss the band as an entirely separate entity. The usual checkbox items are still there in terms of the brutal aspects, but the whiny clean vocals and higher pitched gutturals almost go out of their way to alienate themselves from the rest of the band. It isn't so much that any particular elements are processed poorly as the blending of these opposing ingredients makes for a beef trifle, like taking what you believe to be the best attributes of Killswitch Engage and Arsis and haphazardly throwing them together expecting greatness, but instead creating a diametrically uncomfortable experience for the listener.
Depths Of Hatred are far from a band deserving of being discarded, and their partnership with Prosthetic Records should assist in marketing their music slightly outside of the underground Canadian crowd, but so long as this awkward smattering of intricately crafted modern deathcore and mid-2000s teen-targeted melodic metalcore exists, it's difficult to imagine a world where the band achieves heights of a greater nature.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 01.07.2021 by
Written on 01.07.2021 by
I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 21306
When you write over 400 words to say "their last album was better."
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 653
When you read the comment instead of the review to get the whole idea
---- Ride a horse that's cleaving through the air and space of dreams.
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Posts: 21306 Written by Mehrad on 01.07.2021 at 19:10 That tl;dr was just for you bb.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 21306 Written by Metal Spartan on 01.07.2021 at 23:28 Those individual scores don't necessarily relate to the general rating of an album -- at least based on my personal scale. I can't knock the musicianship or the songwriting as both are highlights, and this is probably their most (appropriately) clean production but the end result is lacking mostly due to the disparity in vocal style and technical delivery. Unfortunately there's no "cohesion" rating or I would have given that a 3 or 4, which would better explain the low rating.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 5827 Written by Mehrad on 01.07.2021 at 19:10 At least you didn't stop on the color of the score.
---- "Aah! The cat turned into a cat!" - Reimu Hakurei
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