Review Summary: The apex of myspacecore.
Culling the Weak self-titled is very much a product of its time. It's MySpace melocore blown beyond its usual proportions with guitar arpeggios, a molestation of the kick pedal and immensely cheesy prebreakdown lines all leaving their signatures on this record. It is by and large not necessarily unique (save for the occasional wicked pterodactyl shriek and a beautiful yet melancholic piano bit on the latter half of "The Star's Apology to the Sky). I will be the first to admit that even the most vanilla of metalcore albums are something I am sympathetic towards, if largely for nostalgia reasons, which may play a factor in my adoration for this album. Those who already loathe melodic metalcore in particular will find this to be a slog, however for the other audience who loves an overabundance of big ole breakdowns and guitar sweeps and young 20-somethings bellowing to "Never give up!" or "We will carry the weight of the world!!!" then man oh man, will you adore this.
The cheese off this album is thick and heavy but also pure and innocent, creating a surprisingly tangible beauty in the monstrous breakdowns of "Weight of the World" or in the rapid fire riffwork of "Deadly Beloved". In many ways it brings to mind the somewhat In Flames-inspired riffwork and gnarly breakdowns of Unearth, but with a leaning sometimes moreso towards melodeath than straight up melocore (especially with the impressively deep bellows of the vocalist). There is a certain beauty and vibrancy that permeates every note, bolstered by a destructive low end through our good friend, the kick pedal. This brings me to the drumming of this album, something that revels somewhat in simplicity. It is fast (albeit not on the level of an Infant Annihilator album) and largely comfortable just riding along but with just enough sweet concise drum fills to not be a slog. It is not as much an arbiter so much as a driving vehicle of support, one that does it's just job relatively well. The theatrics are left solely to the winding melodic sweeps, destructive roars and piercing shrieks that make this so much fun.
That brings me to my final point-this isn't necessarily mature or even meticulously considered, but it's fun. It is something to turn the brain off to and kick into full "windmill every object in my path" mode, unleashing whatever inner core savant may exist in the listener. It's something to unleash the "16 year old who just discovered Killswitch Engage and had too many rockstars" with. If ever you were this kid, than it will allow you to relive that time of innocence but alas if not, then sit back down, for this is the age of core.
