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September 7, 2008 |
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ALL SHALL PERISH - Hate. Malice. Revenge.
Nuclear Blast (2005) |
8/10 |
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01. Deconstruction
02. Laid To Rest
03. Our Own Grave
04. The Spreading Disease
05. Sever The Memory
06. For Far Too Long...
07. Never Ending War
08. Herding The Brainwashed
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It's no secret to anyone who's been keeping up with the never-ending slew of reviews that keep piling up around here that yours truly - while certainly a big booster of the original Metalcore acts to burst onto the scene (SHADOWS FALL, UNEARTH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE et al) - is getting real tired real quick of the seemingly unending parade of angst-ridden, uber-downtuned 'Core' acts that have seen fit to follow in the wake of the aforementioned originators. I mean, what is Metalcore anyway but Hardcore as interpreted by bands gifted with a penchant for intelligent riff, hook, and soaring Gothenburg-style leadwork? Exactly. This was once a fresh and invigorating new subgenre too. Problem is...as seems to be the case with pretty much everything these days, once a few originators throw open the gates, suddenly EVERYONE wants to be a part of it.
Now, in the case of the Metalcore issue, it's gotten to the point where the casual observer could conclude that everyone and their mother is decked out in a wallet-chain and an Emo haircut, churning out throwaway AT THE GATES riffs and pseudo-MAIDEN leads overtop of Hardcore rhythms and percussive assaults. Really. It has become THAT trendy THAT quick. Hence my less than enthusiastic tone of late with bands/albums fitting that format. Hell, I like a nice steak from time to time as well, but if that's all that's on the menu 24-7...nah...no thanks.
This little rant brings me to one of the latest acts who will likely be thrown into that ever-growing ring of 'Extreme Music Talent' we call Metalcore; ALL SHALL PERISH (Craig Betit/vox, Beniko Orum/guitar, Mike Tiner/bass, Caysen Russo/guitar & vox, and Matt Kuykendall/drums). One thing needs to be pointed out though...despite what the inevitable media machine will undoubtedly try to tell you, these guys aren't Metalcore. Far from it. Don't let those sullen expressions, baseball caps, and black hoodies in the band photos fool you. If anything, ASP have more in common with bands like HATE ETERNAL, early MACHINE HEAD, or VADER than they do with easily-confused-with peers such as ALL THAT REMAINS and ALL ELSE FAILED by comparison.
In short, while certainly based from within an obvious starting point of Hardcore influences, this band is about as close as you're gonna get to a straight-up NY-style Death/Grind act (well…besides a full-on, straight-up NY Death/Grind act that is!) than anything from the realms of NORMA JEAN and ATREYU.
Hailing from Oakland Californ-eye-yay, ASP have been a local favourite in the Bay Area scene since 2002. 'Hate. Malice. Revenge.' is actually a re-release of the band's debut (originally released via Japanese label Amputated Vein). And again, despite the band's image, and what I just KNOW will be the promotional angle the Metal and Mainstream media(s) will take with them, this is a band in possession of some serious DM/Grind chops! Each track on 'Hate. Malice. Revenge' bludgeons with a heavy-as-a-tonne-o'-bricks grind, grooving along like an angry giant laying waste to all in it's path with ultra-aggro vox, hooky, bottom-heavy riffage, leadwork that manages to be melodic without directly ripping off ATG (actually more like early MACHINE HEAD leads than anything!), and intense, unrelenting battery. The overall vibe of the album could best be described as brimming with ominous portent. This thing seethes and rumbles like it's ready to just frikkin' SNAP at any given moment!
And isn't that more satisfying than the usual mindless aggression that so many bands seem to want to display (DESPISED ICON anyone?)? ASP, while aggressive for sure, actually seem to care about channeling it INTELLIGENTLY into their music, creating songs that are memorable from a listening as well as a moshing perspective.
So forget about the inevitable Metalcore tag these guys are almost doomed to bear. This ain't Metalcore. This ain't any 'Core'. This is just straight-up, no BS DM/Grind delivered with enough musical intricacies (i.e. riffs that actually have an identifiable structure, the ability to change tempo, and enough melody coiling throughout the leadwork to make the tracks memorable past beer #3 to cause me to care. This is heft with hook thank Christ! Bludgeoning with purpose! Mosh with melody! Grind with groove! Hell...this is the sort of band who might actually bring DM/Grind to the masses, all the while showing the current overflowing stable of true Metalcore acts a thing or two about originality. Good on 'em for that too. A band and album likely to appeal to anyone from your average 'Sounds Of the Underground' suburban concert-goer to the unrepentant, lifelong DM/Grind fan in their 30's.
What one should label a band like ASP is frankly, beyond me...but I don't think it would be unfair at all to say that they are purely and simply a very good METAL band. Nice to be surprised beyond my initial judging-the-book-by-its-cover impressions/presumptions like this. 'Nuff said.
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