Review Summary: "The demon is a liar. He will lie to confuse us. But he will also mix lies with truth to attack us."
Deathcore may be the most divisive subgenre of extreme metal. Some metalheads have never given it the time of day, claiming that you are indeed a “poser” if you dig any type of deathcore. Then you have more open minded metalheads that love a huge and bombastic breakdown and pig squeals every now and then. Now, this is my first experience with both Disembodied Tyrant and Synestia, but I’ll tell you one thing, it will definitely not be my last.
The Poetic Edda is a 20 minute split EP that will absolutely melt your ***ing face off. This isn’t your typical split either. Instead of both bands “splitting” the songs, they collaborate together in making all 4 songs and the result is incredible. What you’ll immediately notice is that these guys opt for the symphonic side of the genre, pioneered by bands like Lorna Shore and Mental Cruelty. Another thing you’ll notice immediately is that there is a HUGE melodeath and black metal influence all over the riffs. Yes you have your typical deathcore breakdowns scattered throughout and the production is super compressed, but that never hurts the overall performance. The tremolo picking and lightning fast sweeps have you feeling like you’re jamming an early era Children of Bodom album. The soaring classical synths sound like something from a 70s horror movie such as The Exorcist or The Amityville Horror. Take the middle portion of I, the Devourer. It’s a mellow yet eerie keyboard passage, as if you’re walking alone in a forest….and right when you feel safe, you’re hit right in the jaw by a massive breakdown that just fits perfectly. The title track is my personal fav. Starting off with a riff that sounds like it could’ve come from a Mayhem album and developing into a barrage of neoclassical riffs and bat*** shrieks and growls and blast beats. The ability of these bands to blend the creepiness of symphonic black metal, the brutality of GOOD deathcore and the classical elements that sound like they came from a Yngwie Malmsteen record is just second to none.
This EP isn’t going to be for everyone. Like I mentioned earlier, the production may be too compressed for certain listeners. Some may think that the “core elements” ruin what would otherwise be a great symphonic black metal album. But in this reviewer’s opinion,
The Poetic Edda would suffer immensely if any of said elements were removed. The breakdowns are well timed and brutal, the synths add a top notch “horror movie” atmosphere and the black/death metal parts that mostly dominate this EP are the glue that holds it all together. These guys have taken what Lorna Shore has done and upped it by 1000. This is pure fun and energy boys. If you hate a good time then I’d say avoid this. If not, strap in because this 20 minute ride will leave you disheveled and begging for your life.
