Nehemiah "The Asphyxiation Process" CD
[Uprising]
Predictable. I knew exactly what was waiting for me with this one before I even popped it in. Take a wild guess? What's that? Melodic Swedish death metalcore? How did you know? Yep. More of that. This band would like very much to be Darkest Hour, even down to the vocal style, but they have two vocalists, one who does the high screams and one who does this muffled, growling sort of bark thing, and the growly/barky guy really isn't doing the band any favors. But beyond that, even though these cats are competent players and writers, there's not one iota of originality here. This sounds a hell of a lot like a more boring version of Darkest Hour, and Darkest Hour wears their influences on their sleeve as it is, so... you do the math. Expect lots of tremolo picking, lots of aggressive melodies, dual guitar harmonies, the occasional odd time signature, chugging mosh parts... and, of course, no solos. Why the fuck don't any of these bands play fucking solos? And tell me why an eight-song full-length needs a bunch of redundant songs that run well over six minutes? If they'd cut down on all the bland tremolo picking crap and stick with the more memorable riffing they could cut at least a few minutes from most every track and keep things moving far better than they do. The recording is alright, but it is problematic enough to hold them back. The vocals are far too dominant, the bass gets lost in the shuffle, the guitars aren't crunchy enough, and the drums are slightly on the rigid side (mainly the snare), lacking the density that the mix so badly needs. Really all they need to do is get some low-end in there and even out the mix, but I'm bothered by the overall sound to a moderate degree. Aside from the large and unnecessary posed band photo (hardcore kids with emo haircuts all dressed almost identically to one another) I actually like the layout, as everything is consistent and the imagery and textures look very cool together. I'm not into the lyrics, which comes as little surprise, as they basically explore the usual topics of hopelessness and whatnot, they just use "bigger words" and artsier phrasings. "A haze of absence hovers over your head. I cannot see past this blackened hole inside your chest. Place this noose around your neck. There is nothing left but two steps to eternity. Nothing more can fulfill your desire, a fuel that will burn no longer..." What can I say? Beef up the sound, get rid of the guy who does the lower vocals, trim the fat from the running times, and you've got yourself an unoriginal band that's good at what they do. Beyond that? Who knows? (5/10)
Running time - 42:49, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: There is No Tomorrow, The Endemic]
Uprising Records - http://www.uprisingrecords.com

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