Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Embodyment - Embrace the Eternal (1998)
Welcome to the proper start of deathcore! While this is the one genre many people, especially extreme metalheads, hated the most, you don't wanna miss out on the real gems. Some of the best are the ones who pioneered the genre, and bands like Eighteen Visions and Prayer for Cleansing helped out in the genre's development. Before this album, deathcore barely existed. Some death metal bands like Suffocation and Obituary would remain key influences to that destructive future, and Damaged and Deformity tested out hardcore elements in their own attempt at creating the genre. However, one band that really kickstarted deathcore is Embodyment!
Something interesting is the band's Christian background that was highly unusual in death metal at that time. Whether you're fan of Christian metal or death metal/core, Embrace The Eternal is a must-listen, containing influences from Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and for the idea of Christian death metal, Mortification. Kris McCaddon has done great primal vocal work, and would've made the band more popular and staying in their deathcore sound if he didn't leave the band.
"20 Tongues" starts with an excerpt of a speech from a preacher, starting with a chant of "Hallelujah!", then the deathcore action begins alongside McCaddon's snarls. "Breed" showcases lyrics of Christian struggles through beliefs ("Falling to my knees a servant unto Christ in this world of disease"). "Swine" swings through like a pendulum.
For "Blinded", if you combine the metalcore of Converge at that time with the Christian death metal of Mortification, that killer track would be it. One song re-recorded from an earlier demo is "Religious Infamy" with brutal growls from Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice. "Strength" is definitely a strong highlight. "Golgotha" is another song re-recorded from a demo. It really stays true to the deathcore sound this album has spawned, and is one of the best here.
"Carnival Chair" is as sinister as a creepy carnival clown, in a good way. The ultimate climax is in "Embrace" where, at a 3-minute mark, a mid-paced melodic yet dissonant riff plays that alone would be the big bang for bands like Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, and maybe even Knocked Loose. Then it all ends with the ominous outro "Rm 144".
Embrace the Eternal is a far more interesting start of deathcore than those two 1997 albums I've reviewed. Unfortunately, their 3 subsequent albums embraced a melodic alt-metal/rock sound, getting softer album after album until they split after the 4th. Members of the original lineup would later start a short-lived project, The Famine. Anyway, it's this album that would fully pioneer deathcore and set the stage for bands like Despised Icon and Suicide Silence. An underrated gem for a new deathly beginning!
Favorites: "20 Tongues", "Blinded", "Strength", "Golgotha", "Embrace"