Carnifex

Die Without Hope

Written by: PP on 24/02/2014 23:16:51

What started as a hopeless, bland deathcore band has slowly but steadily become a force to be reckoned with, as Carnifex continue to impress by their ability to evolve as songwriters on their fifth album "Die Without Hope". Previous album "Until I Feel Nothing" from three years ago was absolutely a step in the right direction in its decision to shave away most of their earlier pure deathcore styled expression in favor of more dynamic riffs without losing any of its brutality, and now "Die Without Hope" is a coming-of-age album of sorts where Carnifex should finally convince their detractors simply because deathcore-inspired death metal hasn't sounded this good and inspiring in a long while.

By moving away from the -core friendly confines of Victory Records to a real metal label in Nuclear Blast known for accepting nothing less than perfectly fluid and crystal clear production in their releases, Carnifex have unwittingly done themselves an enormous favour. Not only are their serpentine styled, death metal influenced riffs crisp and dominant in the soundscape, but they can finally supplement them properly with the symphonic elements, killer solos, and the capable growls of vocalist Scott Lewis in a way that makes sense. A song like "Rotten Souls" might be deathcore at heart, but is played with death metal conviction, and is among the catchiest tracks you can hear in the genre, a fresh breath of air a genre typically known for its chugfests rather than memorable songwriting. Similarly, "Condemned To Decay" embeds a symphonic backing of the black and death metal variety, and the added theatrics sound nothing short of incredible on the background. "Die Without Hope", the title track, is another show of technical prowess with its rock solid riffs and the decipherable growls of Lewis leading the way. If there ever was an exact 50/50 blend of deathcore and real death metal, this song is a candidate for that recipe.

Throughout "Die Without Hope" you get the feeling that Carnifex have overdone themselves. Though "Until I Feel Nothing" started to integrate death metal elements in their sound, the Nuclear Blast influence ensures it's present loud and clear on this album. At the same time their songwriting has taken several steps forward, and the band's technical ability especially during the lightning speed solos is at the highest it has been to date, making a strong case for "Die Without Hope" being the strongest Carnifex album to date.

8

Download: Rotten Souls, Die Without Hope, Condemned To Decay
For the fans of: Despised Icon, The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy, Abigail Williams
Listen: Facebook

Release date 04.03.2014
Nuclear Blast

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