Review Summary: A creative and original piece from one of deathcore's most technically proficient and well-established artists debuts and shatters any expectations I had for it. Incredible.
All Shall Perish's latest effort has done precisely what it needed to do for the band.
This is Where it Ends combines the brutal and vicious attack power of
The Price of Existence with the emotional and progressive impact of
Awaken the Dreamers, while dishing out more than even I have come to expect from the band. Anyone who writes this off as a "2.0" of any of their past albums clearly hasn't heard either of the works they refer to.
This is Where it Ends progresses the band's sound very well. I was impressed with the technical proficiency exhibited by guitarists Francesco Artusato and Ben Orum, the former being a newcomer to the band. Many technically-heavy riffs and sweeps seeded within the album serve to spice up the tracks and help to add distinction between each song. You'll even hear a few techdeath solos in this fine piece of work, and the rare clean guitar pieces are very good at setting a mood for the intro or outro of particular songs. Despite the fact that there is a breakdown close to the beginning of the first track, the album sets down the breakdown hammer-and-anvil and replaces it with an evolution similar to what
As I Lay Dying went through during the recording of
An Ocean Between Us. In true All Shall Perish form, this record is unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable, from the solos featured in nearly every track to the steady but varied drumwork that graces our ears, courtesy of Adam Pierce. The drums stand out to me throughout this record because although they take somewhat of a backseat role (which is rather typical of the band at this stage), it's obvious that careful crafting was necessary to make them really fit. They may not be the most revolutionary drum tracks, but they're not boring or repetitive and serve to add vibrance to each track.
The lyrics serve as a building point for each song's structure, and the composition of both has dramatically increased in this record. From the religious-centred opener "Divine Illusion" to the warmongering "Embrace the Curse", All Shall Perish's songwriting skills have clearly taken a turn for the better, dealing with all sorts of inhuman and generally unlikeable acts that seem to be part of day-to-day society. I can greatly appreciate this turn of focus for the band; partly because I agree, and partly because it shows that the band is interested in worldwide affairs and isn't afraid to bare their emotions and share their views on them. Structurally,
This is Where it Ends looks past needless breakdowns and senseless chugging (not that there was a ton of either in their past efforts) and instead focuses on emotionally- and awe-inspiring riffs combined with a complex overall structure for all instruments that really lets all the album's potential shine.
Of all these instrumental, structural, and lyrical progressions, I have yet to touch upon one of the more distinctive aspects of All Shall Perish. While some of the awesome technical sweeps might draw a bit of attention away from his vocals, Eddie is very alive in this album. Again, like the record as a whole, his style blends a bit of the last two band's releases and constitutes a large part of this album's force of nature. This album is what I've been yearning for for quite some time - it's brutal and suits my mood during the times where you just need to rock out, but I don't feel emotionally detached when I do it. I feel the pain and the anger and the despair that All Shall Perish has imparted to its listeners for the running length of this album, and I'm both impressed with this album and looking forward to hearing even more from this band as the years go by.
Recommended Tracks:
1.) "Divine Illusion"
3.) "Procession of Ashes"
5.) "Embrace the Curse"
7.) "The Past Will Haunt Us Both"
8.) "Royalty into Exile"
12.) "In This Life of Pain"
