Review Summary: This album can proudly sit on a shelf with all the other melodic death metal albums you own...
Melodic death metal has always been near and dear to my heart. I remember hearing At the Gates for the first time years ago, and within me it sparked such an frenzied excitement. Maybe that energy has seeped from my flesh over the years, and I no longer reap the joy I once did from the tried and true formula. It seems to me that metalcore came along at some point and smashed to bits any excitement I could feel going into most modern metal albums that don’t seem to lurk within one of the extreme sub genres now carved. Is there is no wow factor anymore? Can’t any musician put out a decent recording, or shred a solo, chug through a breakdown or scream into a large diaphragm condenser and get some solid results? With that said, what sets a melodic death metal/metalcore album apart? Well, in my humble opinion, personality will.
We all know what we are going to get from a record like this, and let’s face it, it doesn’t bum me out at all. Plenty of energetic riffage with double bass punching away at you from the start is exactly what you’d expect. The titular nature of a self-titled release inherently suggests you will be receiving exactly what the band has set out to achieve, especially after a solid catalog to back it up. The recording is polished, and the bass even peeks out from behind a wall of guitars every now and then to say hello. This is especially heard in “False Shepherds” where it cuts out, and then reappears only to reinforce the guitars on a mid-song break. Staccato picking and much chuggery is present throughout, and while always remaining busy, the guitars are precise and tasteful. The drums are pummeling, and a clear precedent is set early: Neaera are coming with ferocity.
The vocals are in the pocket. The high screams - which are a clear first choice for the vocalist - are solid and find their home nicely here. Angry mid yells and guttural growls find their place amidst the onslaught as well, though the lows sometimes seem a bit forced. There doesn’t seem to be much of a defining style, or personality in those vocals, however. To be 100% clear: In no way do I long for “ohs”, “blehs” or anything else to really clarify that a band is, in fact, amidst breakdown. But the vocals don’t exude a character. Honestly… as I start through my third listen, I’m starting to question that exact element throughout the whole. Nothing is jumping out…
…nothing except solid, straightforward, tried and true melodic death metal. While most of the riffs sound as though I’ve heard them before, they are tasty and performed perfectly. The fall of humanity motif is nothing new, but apt for our current world situation. The recording is polished but devoid of any dynamic shifts, which is fine because it’s just fast, and heavy, and kick-ass. There are no guitar solos present on this entire recording, and only a couple riffs really seem to stretch beyond the basic melodeath mantra, but everything just fits right into the vibe. I’m going to spend some time having fun with this record because it brings me back to when “Slaughter of the Soul” or “Colony” were still fresh in my ears. The breakdown on “Catalyst” sounds like something I’ve heard on nearly every Killswitch Engage record, and it reminds me of how much fun they can be. There are some melodic flourishes that recall Amon Amarth, and how much I love “Twilight of the Thunder God.” What sets all those records apart from this one? Personality, and a lot of it.
