Style: deathcore, djent (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris, After the Burial
Review by: Jonah
Country: Texas, United States
Release date: 13 March, 2020
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the March 2020 Part 2 edition of The Progressive Subway.]
Every once in a while when I’m looking for music I just really want something that’s going to completely kick my teeth in. Something that’s so god damn heavy that listening to it feels like my skull is exploding, my organs are melting, and my body is being dissolved into a pulp by the roars and the riffs. Well, if you ever find yourself in moods like that, this is the album for you, because god DAMN Bury the Rod is heavy.
Deathcore gets maligned for being a really samey and repetitive genre more often than not, and there are multitudes of bands that prove that right. However, this isn’t one of them. Much like Fit for an Autopsy did last year, Bury the Rod proves that deathcore can be dynamic and exciting even while maintaining the trademark chugs and oppressive heaviness. This is done in a couple ways. First, the short runtime is an absolute boon here, because everything is crammed into such a small space that it has no opportunity to feel boring. Second, there are symphonic elements scattered around the album that add a huge amount of the sonic variety. Finally, the performances here are just so damn tight that I can’t help but go back to listen to it time and again.
The guitarists riff like there’s no tomorrow, the bass playing is both audible, and engaging, plugging along besides but not directly copying the riffs, the drumming is punchy and rhythmically interesting, and really provides a strong basis for the rest of the music, and finally the vocals. Woah man the vocals. It has been a long while since I’ve heard harsh vocals with this much pure disgusting venom, pestilent vitriol, and unrelenting rage. Every single vocal line feels like it’s drilling directly through your skull and into your brain, and they alone motivate me to come back to this album over and over again.
While I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a “progressive” album per-se, I do think the experimentation in the synth and symphonic elements warrant inclusion here, as well as the pure, unabashed quality of this album. This is some top-shelf deathcore and I cannot recommend it enough.
Recommended tracks: Crisis, Vile, Crux
You may also like: Fit for an Autopsy, Born of Osiris, After the Burial
Final verdict: 9/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | RYM page
Label: Independent
Bury the Rod is:
– Cj Duffield (vocals)
– Brandon Diering (guitars)
– Jeremy Miller (guitars)
– Ramey Couey (bass)
– Dean Fountain (drums)
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