Reviews list for Car Bomb - Meta (2016)

One of the most remarkable bands from a brutal metal genre, Meta is one of the most exciting albums written by this band. The technical heaviness would surely please metalheads looking for that kind of aspect!

So, 2016 was the year when metal/hardcore bands like Norma Jean, TDEP, and Meshuggah were releasing new albums to please their respective fanbases, and it doesn't end there! Car Bomb, a band heavily influenced by and often compared to those other bands, would make their addition to that year with their third offering Meta. An awesome standout to this year for that metal/hardcore league!

Opening the album as heavy as some of TDEP and Meshuggah's albums, "From the Dust of This Planet" kickstarts the guitar onslaught morphed into colossal riffing as raw vocals thunder through. You can already hear the monolithic production within the buzzsaw guitars. There's also frantic drum pacing, and even some clean vocals for a couple choruses. "Secrets Within" continues the spiraling riffing with the different tempo changes placed neatly. Then it gets slow in the middle, stretching some of the guitar chords out while adding some complexity. Everything sounds perfect there in extreme heaviness as the bass cuts through the guitars. "Nonagon" is nothing too different.

The trippy "Gratitude" actually has a Deftones-like sound, where a verse drives through with clean vocals and jangly guitars, taking a sideways turn in direction. Then the next song "Constant Sleep" is more interesting. Complex patterns stretch long and soft before switching back to heavy and quick. With great dynamic depth, Car Bomb is already reaching unique territory with their sound. Up next, "The Oppressor" maintains the mathcore feel while heading back and forth to a ballad-like song. Joe Duplantier of Gojira makes another guest appearance, albeit with just clean vocals in those softer sections to set an excellent mood. Then near the end there's brutal immense sludge for a riff-powered climax. One of the most experimental tracks here! The relentless storm of "Black Blood" has wonderous insane chaos, especially that headbanger of a breakdown.

"Sets" starts sludgy in the beginning before some chaotic rhythm and a brief clean section. Before the latter is an ULTRA-BRUTAL bridge of growls by Suffocation’s Frank Mullen over some of the most intense rhythm Car Bomb or any other band has generated. It's so fascinating how perfectly suitable a death metal vocalist can sound in this style. "Cenotaph" is another wild ride. Same with "Lights Out", which has one of the most intense breakdowns since the heavier ones by Attila. The ending "Infinite Sun", summarizes all they've done. Cleans and screams collide as riffs blow your mind. In the middle is some Deftones-like rock before ending with the heaviest djent workout.

For 48 minutes, the band has made a brutal quest to level up their mathcore aura with an essential album to please fans of the genre. The riffing has heavy creativity and superb chemistry for the band members and their product. There's no denying how rewarding Meta is as one of the most consistent albums of the 2010s. Creative yet brutal, Car Bomb has made recent history with one of the most meta metal gems of 2016. Absolutely well-written mathcore for the daring!

Favorites: "From the Dust of This Planet", "Secrets Within", "Constant Sleep", "The Oppressor", "Sets", "Infinite Sun"