Within The Ruins are a metal outfit from Westfield, MA. After going through several lineup changes in the 10 years since their formation, the quartet have released their follow-up to 2010’s Invade. Elite was released back in February and adds to the reputation of the group. “Terminal” starts off the album with an instrumental track and is later joined by “Ataxia II.” These songs showcase the strength of the band with excellent and well-written instrumentation. Different riffs, harmonies and breakdowns are placed throughout the disc. A good example of this can be found in “Solace.” It features various riffs and guitar parts that range from high to low-end sounds. Melodic parts transition into breakdowns and vice versa on the title-track. The guitar work provided by Joe Cocchi is well written and placed, as the various riffs are arranged in a way that advances the overall sound of the band.
Cocchi’s technical fretwork can be heard on “Feeding Frenzy,” “Dreamland,” and “Absolute Hell.” The production is rather interesting on this record, with tunes like “New Holy War” featuring choppy effects that begin the song. Breakdowns are an important aspect to metal, and here they contain a groove that slows the pace down by providing rhythmic riffs that result in moshing. They can be found throughout the album and on songs like “The Charm” and “I, Blaspheme.” “Weightless” features fast notes and a slew of riffs while breakdowns take the lead on top of intense drums and heavy basslines. After surviving 10 years through several different lineup changes, Within The Ruins continue their excellent composition of songs on Elite.
In A Word: Technical
