Review Summary: It’s an unspectacular deathcore debut album with ideas as stale as the genre itself.
And Hell Followed With, an act formed from a mix of other bands (Amidst the Fallen, Fatal Afire, Dulosis, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, and For the Fallen Dreams) gives listeners a rather boring listen with their debut record
Domain. Deathcore is a genre where, if a band doesn’t live up to expectations they become forgettable. The usual complaints include the recycling of ideas and uninspired breakdowns, often combined with uncreative instrumentation, just to name the least. Spewing out recycled idea after recycled idea,
And Hell Followed With launch themselves directly into a wave of deathcore mediocrity. This isn’t to say that this album can’t be listened to. There are some redeemable tracks that do lift the overall quality of the album. Unfortunately, these tracks are hidden in a wave of the mundane.
To describe
Domain’s sound; it could be considered a blend of over used breakdowns, raspy and growled vocal lines, relentless drum work and recycled guitar riffs and chord ideas and passages.
And Hell Followed With’s instrumentation while respectable, is the main downfall of the album. Granted each member knows what they are doing with their respective instruments, but the lack of creativity throughout the album ensures a dull listen. Vocalist Nick Holland shows many displays of a fine growler, but his highs have a slightly annoying shriek to them that could turn some listeners away. Of all the instruments the drums alone could be considered a standout based loosely on technical ability. The double bass work is crisp clear and even while the stick work provides the very backbone of the band. The fills may draw in the listener as they are well thought of and are neatly played. The bass guitar seems lost in every track and while it would reinforce the rhythm section of the album, it doesn’t lower the quality of the music being played. The guitarists, while capable rely on bottom heavy riffage and drawn out chords that drone on and mesh into one another. The lead sections are rarely thought of and when heard do not give much for the listeners to hold onto.
Album opener ‘The End Of Prosperity’ is very much an indication of what is to come on the album. After the completion of that fifty second track, listeners are exposed to the consistently mediocre level of material that will continue for the next thirty-four minutes. ‘Consumed By Silence’ shows many of the bands technical ability. From tremolo picking, pulsed bass kick work, to end of passage guitar fills and dark crunchy breakdown riffs. Unfortunately for this track and others is that they blend too well together and listeners may not know where one track ends and the other begins. This blending also creates less of a playback value for the listener. Highlighting the album is track ‘A Whisper From Sorrow’. As far as the album as a whole goes this is one of the most well done songs on here. ‘A Whisper From Sorrow’ shows a higher sense of musical taste with a lone ride cymbal bell, and the occasional dive bomb from the guitars drawing in the listener and more importantly keeping them interested longer.
And Hell Followed With show they have experience behind their music, but lack the creative flair of many other bands. They are in no way pushing the envelope with their debut
Domain and has unfortunately created a rather uninspired listen. The only question is: “Will you as a listener be able to sit through the dull, in order to get to the
slightly better tracks?”
