Review Summary: These guys can execute good songs so well that it's a shame they really just execute the same song 6 times well.
If you know anything about anything about deathcore, than you know that, for some reason, Australia seems to breed good heavy bands like damn rabbits. Thy Art Is Murder, The Red Shore, A Fallen Theory, Widow the Sea, Signal the Firing Squad, and of course we cant forget the Metalcore darlings Parkway Drive. Well now, coming at you from the land of dingos and Foster's, Resist the Thought are here to continue the Aussie's dominance of all things chug. Damnation is a quality album with some decent replay value, and although it is quite repetitive, definitely worth your time to check out.
First and foremost, when looking at any metal album we must begin with the guitars, the melody of the songs. Resist the Thought are definitely not breaking any new ground with their riffs/breakdowns, but they execute what they play with Precision (with a capitol P, as you can see). The Metalcore-esqe riffs are spot on and sound nice and crisp, and the occasional harmonization of these riffs also sounds very clean. The breakdowns are all extremely heavy and fun, and although they happen a bit too often, they are not the kind of breakdowns that make you sigh as soon as you here 'em coming. Rather, each one has such energy and motion that it makes you wanna just punch the closest thing to you. Normally i would give examples of songs that demonstrate each of my points about the riffs, but honestly the structure and style of all the songs is so similar that really any of them will illustrate all points clearly. This is also a pretty big downfall of the album. These guys can execute good songs so well that it's a shame they really just execute the same song 6 times well. 3.5/5
Next, we look to the Rhythm section, the backbone of any musical outfit. Now, don't be too surprised here, but the bass guitar is (GASP) completely inaudible. This is the crutch of all deathcore/metalcore bands, and means that they are only using 3/4 of their resources. I especially, being a bass player for 7 years now, can see just what a good bass part could do for the songs, so it always saddens me that the bass might as well not exist in metal, save for a few exceptions. The drums, like the guitar, are extremely proficient, but not breaking any new ground. The rhythms fit perfectly with the songs, the kick drum hits hard, that blast beats are...blasty. The only problem is that the drums feel like they lack that...extra something that would push them over the edge to incredible. Maybe more use of cymbals, maybe more interesting fills, i don't know i'm not a drummer, but at the end of the day they leave just a bit to be desired. 3/5
Finally, and to many the most important part of any genre, the vocals. This is where Resist the Thought truly shine. Vocalist Rhys Giles really steps it up, and the results are clear. Crisp, clean highs; Crushing brutal lows, the vocals really are what make the songs enjoyable. Whether he is screeching over blast beat madness or punishing you with growls over a frantic breakdown, the vocals here do exactly what they should in any band/song; Complement the instrumentation perfectly while adding immensely to the songs. 4/5
So although the band really doesn't try to push the envelope at all, Resist the Thought have crafted a very enjoyable release. The instrumentation is good, the songwriting is good, and the vocal delivery is suburb. Really the only thing this band lacks is any sign of creativity. They have shown us that they can take what the deathcore genre has done and do it just as good, if not better. What remains to be seen is if they can take these tools and expand them into a more original sound next time around. Will this band become a superstar in the extreme metal community? Only time will tell, but what is for sure is that Damnation is good. Maybe even great. But nothing special.
Pros:
Musicianship is excellent
Vocalist slays for the whole album
Although repetitive, still extremely enjoyable
Cons:
Bass? What Bass?
Little to no variation between songs
Recommended Tracks:
Damnation
Misery's Miscreation
Solitude
