Review Summary: Eunoia - Noun - The perception that a speaker has the audience’s interest at heart.
Corrupt Moral Altar have surfaced at an interesting time for metal; on a daily basis, there are bands pushing boundaries of the genre. How this is done, of course, varies depending on the band. Artists such as Full of Hell are pushing the textures created by dissonance while invoking a dense, dark sound. Grind as a whole, it could be said, has attempted to do the same, but often stagnates since it lacks focus and charisma. A clear example is Infant Annihilator, who incorporate extreme speed and heaviness but lack tasteful and rich songwriting. Given the current grind scene, Corrupt Moral Altar’s
Eunoia is even more commendable. The album features interesting concepts, cohesive ideas, and excedent musicality, at least for the most part, which truly set the band apart from others in the genre.
Eunoia is one hell of a ride. Consistently, Corrupt Moral Altar barrages the listener with dense walls of sound and hardcore-grind goodness. The band proves to be notable at said density, truly imposing thick barriers of high distortion and cathartic instrumentals with great success. It is complemented by the album’s atmosphere, which keeps the listener sucked into the band’s high-octane brand of metal. Plus, the album is
fun. It is truly praiseworthy how the band managed to make such a bulky sounding record whilst also making it a genuine pleasure to listen to when inner angst kicks in. Ultimately, though,
Eunoia is its own worst enemy; it could have been much more. Although the soundscapes on the album are extremely successful and satisfying, it feels as though Corrupt Moral Altar are still missing something to fully present themselves as a band. Quite simply, the album is not daring enough. All passages are solid, but miss that extra “umph” to truly stick to the listener.
At the end of the day,
Eunoia should be considered a beacon of potential because that’s what it is. Corrupt Moral Altar already have a very effective sonic formula, and could truly make something special in the future. It is up to them to show just how deep they are willing to go with their sound.
