Emmure

Look At Yourself

Written by: MAK on 23/06/2017 14:53:30

Chug-core act Emmure is the Marmite of the metalcore and deathcore world — they divide opinions so strongly that even most of the crew at this webzine cannot agree on them. You either like them or you hate them, with a lot of the negativity stemming from the usual, never-ending, unimaginative blasts of chugging that have spawned countless memes, or from the overtly misogynistic attitude of main-man Frankie Palmeri. Things haven’t exactly been smooth for Emmure over the last couple of years either, as every original band member except Palmeri has left the band, forcing the vocalist to bring in ex-members of Glass Cloud and Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza to fill the gaps. If that wasn’t enough of a change, Emmure also departed their long-term label, Victory Records, after releasing six albums with them over the last decade. Now with Sharptone Records, associated with Nuclear Blast behind the scenes, Emmure face a new chapter as a band with a fresh start on their most recent album “Look at Yourself”.

The real question is, how much has this changed the music within Emmure? Honestly, not a great deal at all. The core sound of the machine-like, industrial deathcore that you’d associate them with is a strong remaining component, along with Palmeri’s combination of savage shrieks and monstrous roars. It’s the same senseless, pit-starting brutality that we have all come to expect from Emmure: deathcore with some beat to it. What feels new are the subtle influences that have always existed in smaller doses are now being pushed a little more to the forefront — especially the Korn-esque nu-metal side of things as a whole. “Shinjuku Masterlord”, for one, is a bouncy yet eerie-sounding track which sees Palmeri showing off his rapping technique as if he were Jonathan Davis. “Ice Man Confession” also takes us on a trip to the late ‘90s with its Deftones-influenced, shoegaze-style alt-metal and whispering clean vocals in the verse. Tracks such as “Russian Hotel Aftermath” and “Torch” on the other hand take a massively atmospheric approach behind the dominating deathcore vibes, with huge walls of sound guitar whines and synths lingering in the background of chuggy riffs and machine-gunning double-pedal beats. These are some ear-pricking differences from the very basic Emmure sound, yet songs like “Call Me Ninib” and “Natural Born Killer” do also throw in the traditional noise of hardcore grooves on top of breakdowns, delivered with the furious attitude that most of us were introduced to with this band.

What this album lacks is an anthem. There isn’t an “R2 Deepthroat” or “Solar Flare Homicide” that stands out above the rest. Apart from the attention-grabbing quips of nu-metal influences, a lot of this album blends into one and is just a strong reminder of the Emmure of old. People will still make the jokes of comparing the guitar tabs to binary code. I was hoping for something fresher, considering all the background changes leading up to the album but I can’t fault the band’s delivery of pure savagery and brutality; they do know how to unleash all kinds of hell. If nothing else, you can always count on Emmure to write songs designed to incite pit carnage.

Download: Shinjuku Masterlord, Call Me Ninib, Ice Man Confessions
For the fans of: The Acacia Strain, Bury Your Dead, King Conquer
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 03.03.2017
Sharptone Records

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