Do I even have to write a review of this?  Now this album is listed as a metalcore and sludge release on various websites, and I'm a bit into both, not enough to join the clans, though.  I really liked the idea of sludge metalcore, and even use the tag "sludgecore" in my charts to describe the combo.  You'd think Xibalba would be a shoe-in for a favorite band, but I wouldn't know it from this debut.  The same overused guitar tone, the same decent level of heaviness, the same shouty vocals and the same type of songwriting take up the majority of this fairly boring self-released debut.  I found myself wondering why any of these songs even bothered to go into the five minute range.  I'm really not sure how this band got such good reviews with this debut, but I really believe that so much more could've been done with this album.  I would even go as far as to say I prefer the End So Far by Slipknot.

Another Dying Fetus record, another decent (if middling) score from me. I inevitably feel very much the same about all of the Maryland brutal death metal establishment's releases in that they all offer some level of appeal for me with their relentless brutality but lose points for their style-over-substance approach to song-writing. "Stop at Nothing" (Dying Fetus' fourth full-length album) isn't their one of their strongest records but it is another very consistent one with the quality levels tending to stay very stable throughout with only disappointing close "Vengeance Unleashed" seeing my enjoyment factor dipping a little. The production isn't amazing with the drum sound being noticeably clicky which doesn't do drummer Erik Sayenga any favours. The dual vocal attack is in full effect though & I'm glad that John Gallagher & co. don't allow the practice session-style technicalities to get out of hand as I've never thought that they added a lot to Dying Fetus' sound to be honest. As always with a Dying Fetus record, their signature mid-tempo, hardcore-inspired slam riffs are a highlight &, despite its flaws, I don't think "Stop at Nothing" will lose too many of the band's pre-existing audience even if it's certainly nothing particularly special.

For fans of Suffocation, Misery Index & Skinless.

Believe it or not, during my original Septicflesh marathon, I didn't get through this.  I was more interested in the directly symphonic stuff.  And even though Iv'e been trying to cut back on metal, this is one of those times where I just got impatient with putting this off and decided that one metal album wouldn't hurt my charts much.  Plus, if I'm a Septicflesh fan, I should've already heard this.

This is true to form Septicflesh in every possible way, and may be the single MOST Septicflesh album of the catalogue.  They were always a wild act, merging various styles together in a weird whole, until they focues almost strictly on symphonic death metal.  This album is a careful mesh of the symphonic stuff, the straightforward stuff, the gothic metal of the classic era and the melodic death.  The results are generally, if I may, "mystic."  There's a careful cinematic presence in their beautifully produced music that only Septicflesh can truly provide.  Some of these songs are just legendary, like the title track, Viruses of the Beast, etc.  It almost sounds like it came out of a Therion album sometimes, and at other times it reaches FSoL levels of surreality, especially in the closer.  But none of these aspects ever get in the way of each other.

A few songs, however, lose some of the melodic prowess that this experimentation demands.  Now songs like Magic Loves Infinity are just gorgeously put together, carefully treading a fine line between atmosphere and melody.  But a song like Dark River relies mostly on the backing effects to handle the magic of the album.  That's my only complaint.  Otherwise, this is absolutely georgeous death metal, four words that probably shouldn't go together.

It's about time I went back on those Morbid Angel albums and saw if my current rankings hold up.  For a very short period of time, Morbid Angel was my choice for best death metal band, right before my venture into Septicflesh.  Now this review is for the original audio rather than the Full Dynamic Range master.  Now it goes without saying that I prefer albums that bring out many noticeable variations between songs, and this is the kind of album that pulls out so many different time signatures every twenty seconds or so that it's no surprise that many of the songs have a few too many similarities.  But this remains an incredible album for two reasons: 1. some of the best production values of the 1980's, clear and crystalline without going into arena reverb, and 2. many of the best riffs you may ever hear in death metal.  Similarities aside, the compositions can oftentimes be absolutely stunning.  The intense power of the album's combination of production and composition can even shine through a set of bad headphones.  Morbid Angel made an instant name for themselves with this album.

97

The only experience I had with this female-fronted Arkansas alternative metal outfit was through their latest album "The Bitter Pill" which I reviewed when it was our feature releases back in 2021. Not only did I find that record to be seriously underrated but I also quite enjoyed the experience so I always intended on checking out some of their more popular work at some point, if only to satisfy the unrelenting completist in me. Well, 2003's "Fallen" sophomore album is clearly the Evanescence record of choice for most fans of the band & includes a number of big hits that most metal & rock fans would know very well, even if they've never actively gone out of their way to investigate the album they're taken from. After giving it a few spins this week I've come to the realisation that it's a hit & miss record in my opinion with a good 45% of the tracklisting offering me very little appeal. Thankfully though, the other 55% is very solid indeed which gives "Fallen" enough value to see me coming out of the experience feeling quite positive, if not quite as positive as I did with "The Bitter Pill".

Evanescence's signature sound was forged with this record which champions an alternative metal sound that also draws influence from nu metal, symphonic metal & gothic metal at times. The vocals of Amy Lee are obviously the main focal point as the instrumentation isn't anything terribly interesting or creative & I was happy to find that she's well up to the task too with her tone being both powerful & pure. The incredible adult contemporary number "My Immortal" is the clear highlight of the album but nu metal super-hit "Bring Me to Life", the ultra-catchy "Tourniquet" & the stripped-back piano ballad "Hello" are all very solid & professional inclusions too. The weaker moments are generally aligned with the weaker vocal hooks though which makes it even more apparent that Evanescence lives & dies by the skills of their front woman to control the narrative.

I'm not gonna say that "Fallen" is essential listening because its creative statement is not significant enough for that but it's certainly a bit of fun that most rock/metal fans with do well not to find some enjoyment in. It's interesting that "The Bitter Pill" has been so heavily slandered in comparison because I don't think that's warranted given that I actually prefer that record over this one. I think the fact that "Fallen" is a little more obvious & immediate is what gives it the edge for most listeners but I slightly prefer the added maturity & depth of Evanescence's latest work. Regardless, it's easy to simply allow both to pass you by under the premise that they're none of your business but if that's your position then you might just find yourself missing out on an attractive hook-laden three-quarters of an hour of alternative metal.

For fans of Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil & We Are the Fallen.