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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Godspeed To Your Deathbed
02. Bleeding Me Black
03. Redemption...Is A Cold Body
04. Merchants Of The Blood Trade
05. A World To Murder
06. Self-Inflicted Silence
07. Asylum Of The Human Predator
08. Soul Revulsion
09. Swallow The Stitches
10. Open Eyes To Open Wounds
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What's in a name? Well, that's an easy one. Back in 2003, the band TWYTCH changed their name to HELL WITHIN, and I ask you, which one is more metal? I don't about that original name - it made HELL WITHIN seem like they were some sort of glam rock band. This Lowell, MA-based based band is definitely not a glam band. when I first saw the haunting, OPETH-esque style cover artwork of their new album, "Asylum Of The Human Predator", and then the song titles, I had a pretty good idea of what was in store. With titles like "Redemption...Is A Cold Body", "Swallow The Stitches", and "Merchants Of the Blood Trade", it was plain to see that this wasn't the latest offering by a 'boy band', but probably closer to the misanthropic CANNIBAL CORPSE than say HATEBREED. However, when I put the disc in, I was surprised that HELL WITHIN didn't really resemble either band. Instead, I was treated to an intense, yet polished, hardcore sound that doesn't assault the senses the way so many albums in the genre can and do.
Matt McChesney - vocals, Tony Zimmerman - guitar, Isaias Martinez - guitar, Joe "The Ham" Martinez - bass, and Brian "Bubba" Joyce - drums have created a very solid album with "Asylum Of The Human Predator", and while they still show off their influences (see the SLAYER-ish "Bleeding Me Black"), they manage to sound fresh as they successfully merge different metal genres together. "Godspeed To Your Deathbed" has a fine mix of thrashy, sorta raspy vocals and very melodic clean vocals, featuring some great rhythmic change ups, while "Redemption...Is a Cold Body" is a little more hardcore, as the title might indicate, though still very melodic. On "Merchants Of The Blood Trade", McChesney growls effectively throughout while the band chants out during the chorus "So many die in a single breath". This song is probably my favorite on the album as it is a little different from the other tunes on the disc and shows a different side of the band.
"A World To Murder" is a little more standard and though it's a cool title, the song itself just seems a little to generic. "Self-Inflicted Silence" on the other hand just spews out venom with McChesney's voice sounding like pure evil on the track's verses. Martinez and Zimmerman chug their way through the song with power, while Bubba is as solid as a rock on this short, thrashy tune. McChesney starts out with his clean vocals on title track "Asylum Of The Human Predator" and stays that with that style for a lot of the song, with the evil growls adding attitude and color. "Swallow The Stitches" (yikes!) is at times, more of a mid-tempo rocker with some blistering vocals that has a little bit of an IN FLAMES feel to it. "Open Eyes To Open Wounds" finishes the album in fine style. McChesney once again displays some seriously angry vocals, mixed in with the passionate clean vocals.
This album will no doubt have its share of detractors. Recorded by John Ellis and mixed by Zeuss (SHADOW'S FALL, HATEBREED), the disc may be a little too clean sounding for some hardcore purists, and some may say it's a little formulaic. However, "Asylum Of The Human Predator" (man, that title sure paints a vivid picture, doesn't it) is a very good disc, and if you don't mind your hardcore a little more melodic with some of the edges rounded off a bit, then this is an album for you. Lifeforce Records has another winner on their hands.
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