Style: Deathcore/Death metal (Harsh vocals)
Review by: Chris
Country: US (CO)
Release date: October 30, 2020
I gotta be honest, there are only so many ways we can keep trying to innovate the slamming death/deathcore sound, but that does not seem to be a deterrent for people to keep trying. Short of innovation, bands entering this area tend to either be another noise on the pile, doomed to intermittent re-listens when the mood strikes, or the few that really nail everything the genre wants and rise from the murk. So where does Soliloquy, the new album from Denver based Seren sit?
Being honest I’d lean more towards it being another on the pile, though that isn’t a knock on the album or the material Seren have put together therein. This really is some slamming death metal with some tasty breakdowns sprinkled throughout. It’s just that there is so much of that now that it’s hard for any of it to land really well anymore.
I’ll stop whining about genre saturation now. Soliloquy shows its intent slowly at first in “Saurian Tail”, with a cascading tease of drums and cleaner guitar riffs taking turns with the muffled vocals, before the onslaught begins with the nonstop foot or hands assault from the drums and the guitars alternate between palm muted double stops and tremolo lines. The vocals make it clear from the get go they plan to lay in the more yelly, core style than a classic death metal sound. I found them to be a bit buried at times when they probably could come forward a bit more, though that might would have pushed it even further toward the -core designation. I will say, their tonality will definitely be grating to some.
I found the first 3 tracks standard fare with their breakdowns and blasting sections feeling a bit too familiar. They do have some interesting dissonant ideas trickled into sections, but I felt “Hollow Doors” was where I started getting glimpses of more of a “Seren voice” beginning to poke through at times. By that point in the album the band started trading more of the breakdowns for higher voiced fast sections and strangely melodic solos and lines. “Hollow Doors” has a cool moment of relief right after a barraging blasting section, which was well appreciated as a resting point for the ears. “The Common Grave” ‘s opening continues this reprieve with a very eerie/creepy styled clean part met with sparsed out drums. Later in the song some of the higher pitched chord sections feel almost punk in nature with their energy. Later breakdowns in the album also include one of my personal favorites, breakdowns with much more chord accented emphasis than single note alternations and accents.
Overall I’d say this is a fine death metal/core album and worth a listen for anyone into those veins, especially if you want something to really slam around in. The breakdowns and fun meter ideas in them are a good time, I just didn’t find it particularly revolutionary as a package, but well made!
Recommended tracks: Portrait of Symptoms, Hollow Doors, The Shattered Temple
Recommended for fans of: Aseitas, Hath
Final verdict: 6.5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Seren is:
– Dylan Nobles (vocals)
– Steve Loge (guitars, bass on “The Common Grave”)
– Danny Mingus (guitars)
– Michael Lee Scott (drums)
– Max Kaufman (bass)
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