Dead for a Minute/Submerge "split" 7"
[Shogun]
Dead for a Minute (France) begins with two tracks of abrasive yet melodic metalcore that sways oddly well from discordant and jittery chaotic textures and rhythms to melodic chord progressions that have an almost emo sort of feel. The vocals also jump from raging screams to spoken passages or excellent singing. All of the tempo changes and shifts in mood chopped up and thrown together make for an interesting mix that comes off with some sort of strangely diverse rock vibe. It's equally as crazy and intense as their prior work, not to mention as diverse, but it's a hell of a lot more melodic and easy to follow - which is both good and bad, I guess. Good because it sort of makes the listening experience more enjoyable, but bad because in some ways it makes the band a bit less over the top and comes off as perhaps a tad unoriginal to some small degree. But I won't fault them for that at all, as these two songs are killer. The recording is rough, but it works, it's got a decent amount of clarity and the mix is close to even, so it works across the band's wild jumps in style. Both songs are in French, so the content remains a mystery to me. Submerge (France) comes back with three more tracks of their intense and pounding metallic hardcore, and this time out the recording is a bit brighter and clearer than most of their past splits. The guitar tone is still abrasive, but the bass is more evident, and the overall mix is beneficial to all of the elements. The vocals are still stronger than ever, and I think the force of the vocals is a driving force in this band's delivery. "Bury Ignorance" is one of their best songs yet, employing intense grinding blasts, intricate melodies, breakneck changes, etc. The layout is simple yet effective. The sleeve is black, white, and red, with layered offset images of skulls and icons of stars and radioactive symbols. Inside are simple xeroxed inserts with lyrics and additional imagery. The inserts don't continue the consistent look of the sleeve, but it's alright. Yep, another good split. Submerge needs to give the mass quantities of split 7"s a rest and do a full-length already! (7/10)
Running time - 10:00 (approximately), Tracks: 5
[Notable tracks: A Ciel Ouvert, Bury Ignorance]
Shogun Records - http://www.burnoutzine.net

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