Empathy "Burning From the Inside" CD
[Genet]
I haven't heard much from any of these Belgian H8000 bands in awhile, but I used to be way into this stuff, and this band has in its ranks an ex-member of Liar and a current member of Congress, so I was pretty psyched to check it out. Aside from what I'd call a significantly problematic level of production, this is brutal metalcore that's way more metal than hardcore, unloading tons of double bass and chugging rhythms with some thrashy riffing and fucking sick vocals. It definitely blends the old school European metalcore sound with more modern influences, without getting overly generic, and definitely steering clear of the melodic Swedish bullshit. The slight hints at melody in tracks like "My Way" are fucking great, definitely making for a more memorable and forceful impact as far as writing is concerned, and just check out the fucking amazing female singing in "No More"! Awesome. And then your slower and more menacing material like "Lost Hope" plods along at an almost Damnation A.D. level of intensity. Now, as for the recording, you do face rigid drums with a weird snare sound that pops out a little too much, but I think the key issue would be the really dry guitars. Everything uses raw tones overall, so the mix is a little hollow and not polished enough for this style to really do its full damage. The clean guitars, keyboards, and programmed percussion in the oddly titled closing instrumental "Barbecues & Ballgames" actually sound far smoother and more appropriate than most anything else herein, though. I love the layout, as the booklet has a nice wraparound flap across the cover, and a stark presentation with bright orange, black, and white. The lyrics deal with everything from straightedge to attacking religion, and everything is pretty in your face. "Fuck your god, There's no second chance, for no one, We're born the same, we'll die the same, We have to let nature take its course, no more, I don't need your blood now..." Overall this is great material. A better recording is necessary for the band to maximize their potential, but I can overlook those flaws since I really like the songs a lot. Definitely keep an eye on these guys. H8000's still in business. (7/10)
Running time - 38:00 (approximately), Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: My Way, Lost Hope, No More]
Genet Records - http://www.genetrecords.com

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