Metallic hardcore standard-bearers return without losing a step
After 2003's devastating That Within Blood Ill Tempered, Shai Hulud for all intents and purposes dropped off the face of the earth. When word got out that the band had signed to Metal Blade records and was preparing to release a new album featuring a re-tooled lineup, many fans wondered if band-leader Matt Fox would be able to re-capture the spirit of what had previously been one of the most revered and blatantly ripped-off bands ever to fuse the similar yet disparate worlds of metal and hardcore.
Fortunately, Misanthropy Pure proves that Shai Hulud are still one of the most unique and vital bands in metallic hardcore. Although they have not strayed far from the template laid down on previous albums, the band has made subtle modifications to their sound, producing a record that is as heavy, complex and emotional as their previous works yet at the same time more streamlined and aggressive. The extra aggression stems from the addition of new vocalist Matt Mazzali, who possesses a gruffer, deeper growl that seems better suited to Shai Hulud than the less powerful pipes of prior vocalist Geert Van Der Velde. Mazzali's voice matches the band's reinvigorated instrumental intensity and more often than not ups the ante significantly.
Speaking of instruments, the highlight of Misanthropy Pure is undoubtedly the guitar work of Shai Hulud founder Matt Fox. His playing still bears all the trademarks that continue to inspire a million metalcore bands, but few if any are able to temper heaviness with texture and nuance the way Fox does on tracks like "In the Mind and Marrow" and "Cold Lord Quietus", or the re-recorded version of the classic "Set Your Body Ablaze". Of course, it doesn't hurt that for the first time in their career Shai Hulud are granted a powerful, pristine sound thanks to the mixing and mastering duo of Eric Rachel and Alan Douches. While prior Shai Hulud releases suffered from muddled production schemes, the crystal-clear sound of Misanthropy Pure perfectly captures the band's passion and fury without draining the songs of their potency.
Misanthropy Pure is a culmination of everything that made Shai Hulud such a groundbreaking band when they first came on the scene in the late 1990s. As expressive and heartfelt as ever, the recording is bound to satisfy long-time followers as well as serve as a killer starting point for younger fans who want to familiarize themselves with the genre's elder statesmen. In a time when metal-influenced hardcore has become nothing more than a morass of cliches, it's great to hear one of the style's defining bands step out of the shadows and create an album that reminds us what made listeners take notice in the first place.
| Reviewer: Josh Haun Added: May 26th 2008 |
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