Review Summary: A debut record that's not afraid to leaving anything off the table in pure heavy agony.
What happens when you take the lore of the cult classic Japanese manga series Berserk and fuse it together with stylistic deathcore writing? Well, you get the new heavy titans on the block “Brand of Sacrifice”. Made up of former members from the progressive metal group “The Afterimage”. Brand of Sacrifice is a complete 180 stylistic shift that forms into a hard hitting assault on your senses, but it is also not afraid to show off some flair in the ever growing super populated world of deathcore. Their debut record “God Hand” wants to make a statement and prove that this band is here to stay for a very long time. There is plenty of room for this band to continue evolving but what they have showed off on this debut record is a great setpiece for what might come next.
Brand of Sacrifice’s guitar work is interesting because of how many diminish chords are thrown in throughout the song. The amount of scrapes and taps are a listen to behold on “God Hand”. I was really amazed that I had to slow down a bit because I couldn’t believe that a band could jump between so many stylistic shifts in just one album. It’s a great way to put deathcore veterans on their toes and leave them wanting more than they could chew off. The mix is a bit muddled during the translation of their sound as it was a bit difficult to me to hear all of the instruments on display sometimes. One instrument could over power the other during an intense pattern. But, Brand of Sacrifice wasn’t afraid to not show any remorse when it came to the power of their sound. This is a relentless foray into heavy music that doesn’t want to let go of the user until the record is finished. Relentless guitar patterns with a hint of tempo changing, slamming blast beats that will shake up the room and barbaric baselines all add up to this unforgiving musical experience.
Kyle Anderson the vocalist is the main showpiece for Brand of Sacrifice. The former Afterimage vocalist shrieks and scowls at the top of his lungs like there is no tomorrow. His range is honestly off the wall and it keeps you wanting more. From the pig squeals to the shouts, I don’t think there is much to say on how good Kyle’s vocal tenure is. He is the absolute shining star on this super high stakes deathcore record. The other thing I can say that makes Brand of Sacrifice stand out is their implemented use of samples. The way these samples are used really add onto the album’s presentation and it makes you feel like you’re actually in the world of Berserk. The nice use of powerful orchestras and howling interludes are a nice touch that don’t overtake the record’s powerful message.
Overall, Brand of Sacrifice’s first major record shows some absolute promise for a band to keep on growing in the world of heavy music. It is possible these guys will eventually reach the top of the modern day deathcore hill and it shows that this genre has no chance of running out of steam any time soon. The production could have been better and this record is a bit of a short run. But, definitely a great listening experience overall. Not bad at all for a first full length record.
Favorite tracks: Divinity, Fortress, The Branded & Claw Marks.
