Review Summary: Ideas are always a good thing, but without the proper execution the affair sounds confused. Worlds collide where there is no victor.
For everything that is seeing the hype build for this deathcore act, there is as much that they do to prevent that hype from being justified. Make Them Suffer cash in on a typical deathcore fronted sound combined with some cheesy, orchestral element that is at ends with their 2012 release
Neverbloom. Everything here is mildly generic bar the orchestral element. The screams range from middle pitch to low to high and back again backed by some positively ferocious fast paced tempos and typical riff structures. Despite how solid the music is (although somewhat repetitive) the combination of genres leaves the album a muddled and confused mess. Hailing from Australia Make Them Suffer at least try to hit the metal scene with flair, unfortunately the execution fails to leave a mark on the casual listener.
Signed to the (in)famous Roadrunner Records this deathcore act are set for a career of mediocrity, from their
Lord Of Woe EP which showed more promise than the full length and also focused on a simpler sound;
Neverbloom does too much and achieves little. When it comes down to it Make Them Suffer’s debut could be considered a ‘fad’. The soundscape they do provide may be seen as a fresh take on the metal scene but as a gimmick the first impression will soon wear off. Without the combined force of Dimmu Borgir-esque piano sections and a typical riff fest found in many a deathcore act of this century leave the listener with a clash of sounds forced it seems just for the attempt at sounding ‘new’. There are however some redeeming points to
Neverbloom that credit the band with knowing how to put together some good music. The interlude-ish track ‘Oceans Of Emptiness’ has a smooth edge accented by the keybordists melodic female vocals. This track acts as a nice break between the screams and one minded chug fest of the rest of the album. Also, tracks like the more straight-forward ‘Weeping Wastelands’ show that Make Them Suffer haven’t forgotten how their EP was received, the piano/keyboard section is still hear but largely takes a back seat to this stronger display of song writing.
Overall, it seems that
Neverbloom is rather hit and miss. Praise is sure to come from the Australian community especially considering another couple of prominent metal acts that have “popped up” from “down under” (pun very much intended). Even for those listeners’ who drench themselves in deathcore mediocrity there will be something they find here amass the riffs, standard issue screams and bass drops that will make them feel the hype was justified. Unfortunately this ‘fad’ that was created by combining some rather basic elements fails to be executed in the best possible way, largely missing the point altogether. As for Make Them Suffer, they have a full length that will create divided opinions and create publicity for yet another ‘core’ band from Australia.
