Shallow Water Grave
Suspension of Disbelief
7.6
What we have here is an EP from a side project of the guys from horror hardcore band Zombie Apocalypse (which is also the guys from Shai Hulud). The band is a self-described combo of In Flames and Shai Hulud but that description really only scratches the surface and is not totally accurate either. I can clearly hear the In Flames inspiration in the melodic dual lead guitars but, short of a couple telltale riffs in the opening song and one other, the Shai Hulud comparison eludes me. To put it another way, if Shai Hulud was the father of this baby he’d be on the Maury Povich show asking for a paternity test.
Beyond the basic Scandi thrash template, the other big style at play here is good ‘ol American metalcore. The closest general comparison I could make is a faster, less technical Unearth with simple yet devastating Hatebreed style breakdowns and a pinch of aggressive neo-thrash not unlike a slightly less brusque Carnal Forge. Add the tough guy barked vocals of the latter band and that’s it in a nutshell.
Most of the songs follow the typical metalcore formula of fast Gothenburg riffs broken by big breakdowns but there’s a couple interesting quirks. Besides the above mentioned Shai Hulud/Grade style post hardcore riffs, there’s a big nod to Sepultura with a punishing roto tom tribal drum fill part way through “The Darker Side Of Truth” that was pretty unexpected. They also borrow the hardcore staple of gang vocals which works surprisingly well in this environment. It lends that urgent sing-along-with-the-band live show feel. These quirks, not to mention the amalgamation of these varying styles, make this a pretty interesting albeit short release. It certainly stands out in the sea of metalcore clones flooding the scene today.
At seven songs, with two being demos of songs on this same release, it’s really only a five song release which might not be worth the price unless they never come out with a full length. In that case, this is definitely worth checking out for its different take on the popular styles ruling metal today (sorry to all the kvlt BM’ers). Of course these guys won’t be knocking any of the above mentioned bands off their thrones anytime soon but this is way above the level of the typically goofy side project band. In fact, if this was a full length, I’m positive it would be one of the better records out this year in this genre. And to think it’s from a bunch of fulltime hardcore guys.
