Within Destruction -- Deathwish (review)

Band: Within Destruction
Album: Deathwish
Genre: slamming deathcore
Year: 2018
Label: Rising Nemesis Records

Let's start 2018 out with something heavy!  My introduction to the Slovenian behemoth Within Destruction was their sophomore full-length, Void.  That album was heavy, slammy, melodic, and the double bass was fast as fuck.  So their latest outing should take that good reputation and improve upon it, right?
Well, the band did introduce new elements this time around, which is good considering the fact that this is still a relatively young band (8 years, didn't really take off 'til 2016).  The melodic passages are different than what was present on Void.  I would describe these melodies as kind of light and fleeting, whereas Void's melodic riffs were more ominous.  The vocalist has also revamped his style a bit.  The intense growling is occasionally broken up by some less-harsh moments.  It seems like the song is gonna lapse into melodic metalcore, but he reverts to tunnel-throating it as quickly as he stopped.
Aside from the aforementioned tweaks in style, this thing just turned out to be another run-of-the-mill "slam deathcore" album.  Anything that made the band's 2016 breakthrough interesting is painfully lacking here.  I couldn't even force myself to see an ounce of originality in this.  Everything from the production to the music to the album cover is so done-to-death it hurts.  Please, stop beating this dead horse.
Bonus: the guest feature on the title track made me never want to listen to Psychosadistic Design ever again.  It is that BAD.
Maybe someone can find something good to say, so check it out here.


Rating: 1.5 / 5

Methwitch -- Piss (review)

Band: Methwitch
Album: Piss
Genre: slamming deathcore
Year: 2017
Label: independent

Methwitch is a one-man deathcore project from New Mexico.  Blending together the most brutal elements of hardcore and extreme metal, Piss is an unrelenting beast of an album.  Over the course of its one-hour run time, Cameron McBride lays down hellfire on anyone (un)lucky enough to listen to his output.
None of the songs are particularly memorable, but this guy knows what he does best: crush the listener with 20 tons of breakdowns.  If you hate breakdown-driven core music in the vein of Vulvodynia and Infant Annihilator, then I recommend you avoid Methwitch at all costs.  Love getting curb-stomped repeatedly?  Indulge yourself with this behemoth!
I was extremely surprised to see that the drums on this release are, in fact, programmed.  In my opinion, they sound very organic (I mean that in the way that they aren't overly repetitive -- they sound triggered for sure).  The guitar work is great (for deathcore).  There really are not any stand-out riffs, but McBride manages to pull off some technical shit when he's not delivering a brutal beatdown.  The bass is audible, but there is nothing really impressive about it.  Vocals, on the other hand, are phenomenal!  A mix of hardcore shouting, guttural growls, and ear-piercing shrieks, McBride manages to keep the music interesting for its long-winded run time.  He seems to be heavily influenced by the likes of Duncan Bentley and Travis Ryan, while simultaneously cementing his own unique style.
All in all, I think the album is a bit too long for this style, but if you are looking to get crushed, look no further.  You can download the album from the Methwitch bandcamp here.


Rating: 3.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
Carmine
Priest of Piss
Altar of Blasphemy
Gallery of Apostasy