Review Summary: BLACKENED MATHCORE????
When this album popped up on my black metal challenge list, I thought it was going to be some type of modern, cleanly produced atmospheric black metal album. My assumption was solely based on the album art. That was the first thing I was wrong about. The second thing is that I thought these guys were Russian or some other Eastern Eurpoean band based on the band's name and the album's name. Unbeknownst to me, these guys are ***ing Chinese. This album/band put me in a mind *** before I even heard the music. It really gets interesting when you hit play...
I'm not even going to try and figure out the name of this album and I don't need to. Whatever it's called, it absolutely BANGS. Hoplites play an extremely aggressive blend of black metal and mathcore. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I can't recall a band blending these two genres at all and I definitely don't remember it being done so well. This thing is bonkers from start to finish. Dissonant riffs knock you off your feet and the sheer technicality (especially for a black metal band) is off the damn charts. The cleaner production is absolutely perfect for this style of black metal, really giving the riffs and frantic drumming room to breathe and highlight both of their strengths. The vocals are high-pitched standard black metal shrieks but they're done effectively and hauntingly.
Ferocious is the perfect word to describe this band. There is no relenting, no let-up from the blackened whirlwind that you're right in the middle of. I can't judge these guys overall yet, but if this one is any indication, they're all nuts and will send you straight to the hospital with a bludgeoned skull.
