Taking into mind Within The Ruin’s high regard with metalcore fans worldwide and the success of previous album ‘Elite’, there’s sure to be a sizeable mob of followers who would strongly contend with every blow i’m about to deliver to this band. But music is subjective of course. And this album just so happens to be my personal hell.

From the sheer speed and progressive tendencies of WTR’s fourth album it’s fair to say that, for the large part, the Massachusetts quartet are undeniably capable musicians from a strictly technical point of view. But from the overly gated guitar chops to the indiscernible screaming to the constant goat-fuck of programmed kick pedal, glitches and bleeps ripping into your ears like a hacked off pitbull, nothing about this album feels organic or original.

There’s a frustrating lack of consideration for dynamic and pacing here. There’s no story to this record. No feeling of a completed journey or catharsis or resolve by the end of it. It’s just a truly arduous coagulation of throwaway “deathcore” and textbook 7 string mosh pit fodder.

I made a firm comment in my last review that today’s crop of modern metallers can tend to be an unfortunate smog of replicants. Each tailoring that meticulously crisp, clean groove metal tinged sound in some way to their liking, yet remaining completely indistinguishable from one another. Sadly, that’s a thought I’d like to reiterate here.

Every time I review a release like this, I feel like I’m running out of ways to be polite. And ripping an album to shreds doesn’t feel great. It feels absolutely lousy. But there’s nothing here. Nothing in this vacuous copy and paste job of an album besides fast fingers and feet. Moving swiftly on.

0/5

‘Phenomena’ by Within the Ruins is out now on eOne and Good Fight Music.

Within the Ruins links: Facebook|Website|Twitter

Words by Joe Danher