This is one of those “we have no style” style of bands that no matter how underground or nihilistic they try to present themselves they still come off as a bit Slipknot. But despite one of the funniest press packs I’ve ever read (from comical pseudonyms to a convoluted biography) the building blocks for a decent release are there. With the album mixed by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist), and artwork by Machine Room (My Dying Bride), it certainly seems like an enticing prospect. The album is even enhanced with a horror movie starring international porn starlet Lena Cova.
Opening with ‘23rd Circle Breeds Pestilence’ which is concentrated at the super-pissed-off end of the Metalcore spectrum, the band add a progressive sheen to the testosterone fuelled anger. ‘Lycanthropy’ has that stripped back but catchy Illdisposed feel to it with the guitars and drums working in harmony to drive the track. ‘Anchored to Suffocation’ goes off into it’s own world with it’s chugging riff and epic chorus - the songs structure feels like they’ve gone for something a bit different and it’s paid off. ‘The Rise of Noah’ mixes male hardcore vocals with Lacuna Coil-a-like female vocals that makes for one hell of a curve ball after the ferocity of the previous tracks… best of all though is the fact that it works really well.
‘Loyal Breakdown of Souls’ is more chugging riffage but with some rather fancy keyboard work giving it a rockier feel but maybe coming off as too much of a mish-mash this time. ‘Sinner’ gets back to basics with the same formula as heard on the album’s opener albeit at a slightly slower and more methodical pace. ‘Egoist’ heads off into that heavy proggy territory again but its sheer ferocity is enough to carry them through the more contrived parts. A rather unexpected turn is in the cover of Christian Death’s ‘Deathwish’ which gets a Melodic Death overhaul that is actually very fun to listen to. ‘Burst’ goes back to the blueprint once more for a fairly straight and aggressive attack that makes use of the female vocals again but in a less distinct way. The album comes to a close with ‘Pure’, which re-treads a lot of old ground, but with such a catchy riff at work and better use of the female vocals it is forgivable.
Despite the fact that this so-called ‘post-Metalcore’ sounds rather like good ol’ timey Metalcore there is still a lot of bite to the growls and barks of the band. There is more of a melodic Death Metal edge to the sound that reminds me somewhat of Illdisposed which often allows the band to transcend their self-imposed shackles. If they’d only let me take them seriously I think these lot show a hell of a lot of promise.
http://www.myspace.com/thewayofpurity
