This Los Angeles, California, metal band has returned for a fifth album. The lineup has been solid since the addition of Alana Potocnik on keyboards in 2009 and now for the new album, Resistance, drummer Brandon Galindo joins the fold. “Open The Gates,” the disc opener, begins with a faint keyboard melody and morphs into caustic growls with a hardcore tempo and vocals. In addition to that, the keyboard in the songs “Left For Dead” and “Time To Recap” adds a ghastly tone to the album.
Songs like “One Foot In The Grave,” “Time To Recap,” “Good Ol’ Fashion Bloodbath” and “Say Hello To The Undertaker” rely on sing-along choruses to keep the flow moving, somewhat resembling the songwriting of the Murderdolls’ album Women And Children Last. Lyrics like, “I won’t be happy till everybody fucking dies,” “There is no redemption” and “I am relentless” create a very bleak listening experience. I would point to “Snake Eyes” as the best song on the LP. It has an epic drum beat and guitar and bass pattern. There is a circling feeling to the song as it progresses and a rapid tempo is sustained, with some short guitar chords accompanied by keyboard solos every so often.
When they are caustic, the vocals can be very enjoyable, somewhat reminiscent of crust punk and black metal, though the hardcore shouts leave a bit to be desired. Overall, this album will appeal to death metal fans that enjoy hardcore and those who enjoy deathcore.
In A Word: Atmospheric
