Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Enterprise Earth - Death: An Anthology (2024)
Is it just me or was my deathcore exploration very quiet during these past few months since the release of the new Lorna Shore album? I've already made Make Them Suffer's debut Neverbloom a feature release, but for anything new or not yet heard by me, the well was run dry... Until a few awesome discoveries have popped up that made this a promising year for my deathcore journey. This 2024 Enterprise Earth album is the first of those discoveries, and my first deathcore review of 2026!
Death: An Anthology has made me remember that deathcore doesn't have to be symphonic to make a masterpiece. Throughout its literal hour of power, the brutality of the genre hits you hard while spreading into technicality and even some of the deep downtuned stylings of djent and some bright melody here and there.
There's still some orchestral beauty in the intro "Abyss" that includes synthesized vocal harmonies and guitar melodies, almost like the missing link between Cynic's first two albums. Of course, the savagery you'll soon witness will be far beyond what Cynic can do. It all crashes in with the vicious "Face of Fear". This chaotic blend of deathcore and elements of technical mathcore pretty much separates this band from the league of deathcore bands that take on the symphonic blackened approach. Then out of nowhere comes an epic clean chorus. "The Reaper’s Servant" continues the chaos, this time blurring the lines between brutal deathcore and melodeath. Adding to the massacre is the guest vocals by Darius Tehrani of Spite. "Spineless" starts off beautiful but then unleashes seething anger in the music and lyrics, "You spineless sack of festering sh*t!"
The djenty "King of Ruination" is basically full-on Meshuggah gone deathcore. It also has guest vocals by Shadow of Intent vocalist Ben Duerr, and it's probably the first track I've heard with his vocals that doesn't have any orchestrations. I love it! Next track "Casket of Rust" is one of two epics surpassing the 7-minute mark in length, and it further shows the band's tech-deathcore side. "I, Divine" blends their deathcore with some melodeath from Soilwork and even Hinayana with its occasional doomy melody. Leveling up the moshpit is "Malevolent Force" which is an absolutely grand smasher with some guitar soloing by Wes Hauch (Alluvial).
"Accelerated Demise" is a progressive instrumental almost like what BTBAM would make. A fun instrumental! Then "Blood and Teeth" may be the closest we have to a deathcore ballad, though the ravaging destruction is still around at times. "Curse of Flesh" is a kick-A 7-minute epic, again making the "best for last" aspect in some albums from deathcore and other genres. I absolutely enjoy the guest appearance by Trivium's Matt Heafy.
For those who think this offering lacks focus and is too pompous, you may want to reconsider that thought. It's not everyday a deathcore band can blend together elements of many genres into their sound, and that should be praised. With Death an Anthology and other epic masterpieces in these past couple years, there is a future for deathcore!
Favorites: "Face of Fear", "King of Ruination", "Casket of Rust", "Malevolent Force", "Accelerated Demise", "Curse of Flesh"