Deathcore with malicious intent
If there was a weakness to be found on Through The Eyes Of The Dead's previous album, 2005's Bloodlust, it was in the performance of then-vocalist Anthony Gunnells. Processed to the point of sounding like they were recorded inside an empty can of Campbell's soup, Gunnell's vocals nearly ruined what was otherwise a finely crafted slab of melodic deathcore. Coupled with a rather non-descript production scheme, the band seemed doomed to an existence toiling in metal's lower echelons.
Fast-forward to 2007 however, and the band's situation has changed drastically. Through The Eyes Of The Dead have a blistering new album in the form of Malice, which sees the South Carolinians trimming the fat and upping their collective game in a manner that blows not only their previous album out the water, but the albums of just about every other band currently plying this style of Americanized Swedish death metal.
Their secret weapons on Malice are twofold. First up is new vocalist Nate Johnson (ex-Premonitions of War), who's ultra gruff and ferocious brand of throat torture suits Through The Eyes Of The Dead in a way that Gunnells could never seem to muster. Johnson's vocals are as deep and growly as it gets but still totally intelligible, making his vocal lines and choruses almost as catchy as the scorching twin-guitar work of Justin Longshore and Chris Anderson. Second is the devastating production job from Hate Eternal's Erik Rutan. Although Rutan might as well be known as the house producer for American metal, he has a knack for beefing up and bringing out the unique character of each band he produces, rather than trying to put his own stamp on them. Here, he brings out the crushing viciousness of Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and while the breakdowns are still present, they sound more like a credible death metal band than they ever have.
Although Malice is certainly catchy, melodic and polished, there is still an aura of raw violence present, bulldozing listeners right out of the gate with "Failure in the Flesh" and continuing to pummel and abuse all the way through to closing track "Pull the Trigger." Early highlights like "A Catastrophe of Epic Proportions" and "The Undead Parade" showcase the band doing what they do best, mixing brutality with skillful musicianship and a knack for memorable songwriting.
The one flaw to be found with Malice is that there are currently about a billion bands plying this style of metal and the scene is already well past its saturation point. In spite of this, Through The Eyes Of The Dead have proven they have what it takes to rise above their third-tier status and make a record that will violently grab metal fans by the ears and make them take notice.
| Reviewer: Josh Haun Added: November 8th 2007 |
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