Review Summary: Power, brutality, flare, melody, emotion and DOMINATION!
All Shall Perish - The Price of Existence
"Whoa!!" It's all you can hear from yourself, choked with the mercilles brutality and witty melodies after listening of the sophomore All Shall Perish release.
ASP comes for the throat with the beginning "Eradication". Almost deafeaning opener. Lightning fast double bass, savage blast beats, sweeping, tapping. Probably everyone of you, in this moment, may say: "Something is wrong, this is not All Shall Perish!". Hell Yeah, this is ASP but newer, far more technical, melodic and agressive than before. Line-up changes definately helped. Guitarists are simply superb, drummer is insane: he delivers everything what you may appreciate in extreme music, and last, but not least: Hernan "Eddie" Hermida. I won't lie when i say that he is one of the best extreme vocalists ever. He flawlessly switches between many styles: growling, screeching, snarling, barking. His range is incredible and beyond all doubt, he surpassed previous vocalist, although he was really good.
After "Eradication" we hear cowbell introduction to "Wage Slaves" which has hefty, groove oriented riffage. You don't even notice when your head has started to banging.
Next we have "Day of Justice". Very melodic piece, strongly drawing from the Swedish roots. But, ASP does it very proffesional and interesting, not mindlessly like many metalcore bands. But it isn't all: after 1:00 there is marvellous solo, and breakdowns gallore starting from the middle of a track, which has a peak around 2:50 when appears very dynamic breakdown backed with screams and snarls. Delicious!!.
"There Is No Business To Be Done on Dead Planet" has very thrashy riffage on the beginning then transforms to grind insanity. Just listen to the gravity beats at 0:40!!. But the most interesting things are happening in the second half of the track. First, there is tech breakdown, where drummer is hitting china cymbal at "4" while doing intermittent two step parts, then Reflux-ish solo is coming and while after is devious bass pattern. ASP was playing in that way in the past? I don't think so.
"Better Living Through Catastrophe" beggins with murky, lofty riffs and low-end tom hits. Then, suddenly, witty, melodic riffs burst, and drumming achieves lightspeed. Later, song is slowing down, melodeath riffs give way for breathtaking solos.
"Prisoner of war" - again - gloomy, bones crushing piece and phenomenal bass (1:40 and later - just listen to bass!). This piece is different in good way - it has blackmetal - ish climate. Maybe caused by these chants in the middle of the song, maybe by the lofty mid-tempo, maybe by this stunning solo beginning at 3:30. Anyway, ASP scored again.
"Interlude" is soothing, needed breath of the fresh air. Blues solos are just amazing. It's not your typical filler, put just to increase lenght of an album. This composition is really captivating listener and showcases how wide are musical horizonts of ASP crew.
"We Hold These Truths" - return to the source: smashing melodic assault and hard breakdowns. Maybe not as characteristic as rest of the tracks, though i like thrashy drum tempo and quick, melodic shredding. Eddie is simply scaring the devil out of hell again.
"The True Beast" is apocalyptic, ultra- brutal deathcore masterpiece. Probably the heaviest thing on album. Reminds a bit previous stuff; less melodic than the other songs. First half is mostly two - step massacre, second - earthquaking breakdowns.
"Promises" - though it begins quite predictable, at 0:40 is sudden metrum break which is fading to badass breakdown with horrific tapping. Arounf 1:50,ASP kills with that, what made them big - deathcore groove. Not the best but still enjoyable as hell.
Album ends with a long "Last Relapse", melancholic, dreary, majestic composition, which begins with piano and stringed instruments ,and ,while later, clean vocals(Yeah, clean vocals! Not the emo whining but solid singing). Further, song is getting faster and Eddie ,particulalry,is vomiting his lungs. Around 4:00, acoustic guitars are coming up to prelude the fascinating end. Emotional, piercing solos and riffs leading to closing piano notes, sending the chills down the spine.
Surely, you will be surprised by my delight but IMO, "The Price of Existence" is strong candidate to the album of the year, and i am sure, that this is not only my opinion. This opus is simply pinnacle of the genre, and the model of the modern, extreme music. And, i suposse, that "The Price of Existence" will become a classic. That's why i gave the highest rating.
