Review Summary: ACCEPT IT.
Accept Death are very angry. They’re angry at life, at people, at pretty much everything, so they did what is most acceptable for such pure, unadulterated hatred – they channelled it onto record, and this album is the result. The group’s members have extensive musical backgrounds, but one name which sticks out from the rest is the charming name of
Fistula. Anyone who has had the pleasure of listening to Fistula’s material will know the intensity that these musicians put into their music, and Accept Death is no exception. While the extremity of Fistula is somewhat eschewed with this project, a good amount of
Grief and
Eyehategod influence make up for it, and the end product is three quarters of an hour of absolute revulsion, in sonic form.
Where Fistula takes sludge to the deepest depths and lowest lows, Accept Death retains a sense of belligerence that is inherent to hardcore and crust, a style that
Dystopia perfected on their classic,
Human = Garbage. The more modern variations of this style have taken on the dubious label of ‘sludgecore’ (one which I thoroughly detest), and by all means Accept Death fit this bill. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of variation on the record – while the typical sludge tenets as expounded by Grief, Dystopia and Fistula are here, thrash elements and hints towards hardcore and crust are littered throughout the record, adding to its longevity.
Due to the relatively ‘clear’ production, the Grief-reminiscent riffs pack an even harder punch, and the clarity of the whole record enables the frenetic passages to be expressed far more audibly than the band’s stylistic predecessors. In fact, the mixing on the album is some of the best I’ve heard for an album of this type – everything just sounds loud, but nothing seems to overpower anything else. The dual lows and highs (blissfully reminding one of Dystopia) sound absolutely malicious and are not overshadowed by the riffs, though not drowning them out either.
Accept Death is not an original record, but it certainly is an extremely well executed slab of sludge-y hatred – fans of any of the bands mentioned throughout this review will undoubtedly love this for what it is. The reason for this is that while it does not push the boundaries of innovation, Accept Death takes recognisable and familiar sounds and nudges them with a creative, maniacal flair. What is also very notable is the band’s tendency to gravitate towards styles prevalent in the early to mid 90s, steering clear of any ‘modern metal’ influence that may deter fans of the old school. Regardless, anyone who knows Fistula will know the authenticity to expect with Accept Death, and despite the divergence of aims between the two groups, they share a common disdain and utter rejection of all that is good, pleasant, and comforting. If you like to wallow in societal filth and derangement, then hurry up and get accepting.
