Upon This Dawning – We Are All Sinners


A bit more than a year and a half after their debut album, the Italian metalcore band Upon This Dawning released their follow-up to it last week. Back when I reviewed the predecessor, I said that the band has potential, but still needs to find their sound…and I’m very happy to say that they managed to do so with We Are All Sinners!

The first thing that you notice when you pop in the new record, is that the production has become vastly more massive: every note packs so much more of a punch than before and it’s a true joy to listen to. The second thing that will catch your attention is that the entire ensemble’s, metaphorical, balls have dropped…which means that the guitars are way more down-tuned, the drums are much more aggressive and, most noticeably, the growls have reached an incredible low sound spectrum…but more on that later.

In the opening paragraph I mentioned that the quintet has managed to find their sound, meaning that this sounds a lot more genuine and heartfelt than their previous endeavor, but there aren’t necessarily any new elements to the genre. As a matter of fact, it sounds a lot like Betraying The Martyrs, a French band that I absolutely adore, but the end result doesn’t have to fear the comparison since the eleven tracks have a lot of variety to offer. While the majority is composed of groove-laden songs with a number of seriously heavy breakdowns, there are some surprise songs that have a very interesting industrial vibe to them.

The instrumental front in general has improved quite a lot, both in terms of face-melting brutality but also in terms of entrancing melodic parts. The songwriting is not the only aspect that has reached new heights, however. The one factor that completely blew me away on my first listen-through of these thirty-eight minutes is the fact that the growls are so purely vile and evil now, that it’s simply a pleasure to have your eardrums bombarded with them. The clean vocals have also changed quite a bit, with the arrival of a new singer, and I must say that I prefer them to the old ones, since they are much more diverse and fit the style of the music perfectly.

All in all, I’m glad that Upon This Dawning have, luckily, disproven my initial fears of being a one-album-band and have actually by far surpassed their debut record with this new one. Here’s to hoping that they’ll tour in my general vicinity and that album number three is going to be even more insane. If you are into this kind of music, you absolutely cannot go wrong here…so be sure to check the video below and visit the band’s Facebook page if you like what you hear!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNw7SmjlO8w]

Devil You Know – The Beauty Of Destruction


Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to welcome back one of the arguably best and most distinguishable metalcore voices out there after a break of two years! Following his departure from Killswitch Engage, Howard Jones took some time off from the spotlight but now he’s back as the lead singer of the new band Devil You Know! Composed of members from All Shall Perish, Devolved and Bleeding Through, the quintet has just released their debut record The Beauty Of Destruction!

The band plays metalcore, very comparable to the sound of the bands the members come from, which covers some really heavy songs and some softer ones as well. The heavy songs of the twelve tracks all have serious headbanging potential and will satisfy all your needs with their fast-paced rhythms and crazy riffs. The slower ones all have that sing-along potential as well as earworm quality, making the record quite diverse.

The definite highlight throughout the forty-eight minutes is, without a doubt, the brilliant vocal performance. The screams are as powerful as ever, ranging from high-pitched screeches to deep growls, and the cleans are just as soulful as what you’re used to. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s Jones’ best work to date, but his output has been constantly close to perfection over the years…so that’s not saying much.

In closing, I’m going to say that if you’ve missed the incomparable voice of Mr. Jones, you will feel right at home with Devil You Know, and there is really no reason you shouldn’t give this record a thorough listen. For those of you who are, for some unbeknownst to me reason, unfamiliar with him…what are you waiting for? Listen to the song below and visit the band’s Facebook page so you can get started!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3qVww8s_a4]

Adestria – Gilded Hearts


Today’s review is very special to me since, almost to the day, two years ago I wrote my first review for El Gore and it was about the US band Adestria‘s debut album Chapters. Exactly one hundred reviews later, they just released their second full length album Gilded Hearts!

Where should I start? Not much has changed in the quintet’s sound, but that’s just as well, because they were one of the, if not the, strongest newcomers of 2012. Their powerful take on metalcore has kept up well over the times and still sounds as fresh as ever. I have the feeling that they have become slightly more technical in their riffing but, as I mentioned before, they were already at a high level to begin with.

The ten songs all have these diverse arrangements to them, where they change from balls to the wall mosh parts to super melodic passages with a very epic feel. The major improvement on this record is definitely the production, everything sounds a lot more crisp and especially the bass guitar is so massive and can be distinguished quite easily among the barrage of instruments. While it does have a very modern sound, it’s not overdone to the point where you’re wondering what you’re listening to.

The vocal front also remains largely the same: the screams are still as massive as before, the screeches, even though less prominent this time around, are still bone-shattering and the clean parts are still as melodious as ever. As opposed to the predecessor, there are no guest vocals this time around, which I don’t mind at all…since it leaves more time for the vocalist to shine on these thirty-five minutes.

To round things off, I can only say that Adestria have managed to put out yet another brilliant record and I’m really glad that, just like me, they didn’t lose any of their drive over the past two years! Be sure to visit the band’s Facebook page for more info and to check out the song below! Here’s to the next celebration in two years!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBuEp3JjB5k]

Dreadnought – Vanitas


I usually don’t write reviews of singles, but I’ll make an exception in the case of the local melodic death metal powerhouse Dreadnought. Part of the incestuous trio of bands from the Bricherhaff, they recently released the two-track single Vanitas.

As is tradition for these three bands, everything on here is self-recorded, self-produced and self-released. The eponymous opening track is easily my favorite track by the band so far, since it is so beautifully melodic and yet heavy enough to rock your socks off. The second track, Old City, is a bit more straight-forward but just as gripping.

The song structures in general have improved a lot since Demon, and the instrumentation is a lot clearer and poignant. And, as you might guess if you’ve read the last review that featured the same singer, the purely evil vocals of local growl virtuoso Boerdi are just the icing on the cake of these eleven minutes.

I know this is a very short review, but it’s easier for you to listen to it below and/or download it for free. I, for one, am very much looking forward to the next EP or full length by Dreadnought, and so should you! As usual, more information can be found on the band’s Facebook page!

Teitanblood – Death

Greetings, El Gore readers! Last time I wrote for these guys I reviewed Eyehategod’s In the Name of Suffering. Well, perhaps it’s the aficionado of awful in me, but now I bring you yet another taste of a truly dark, evil, raw pool of vermin and filth. Namely, the latest piece of work from what I consider to be one of the best, if not the best contribution that Spain has to offer when it comes to extreme music: Teitanblood. And the album? Death.

I’m most likely showing my colours by reviewing and promoting a band that’s so near home, but I honestly think that this band touches and creates in a very unique manner the most morbid and down tuned Black/Death Metal primitivism with brush-strokes of Doom that I’ve had the chance of running into in the past years.

The first time I heard of them was with their previous album, Seven Chalices. Just when I listened to the beginning, with Whore Mass and how it prepared the ground for Domains of Darkness and Ancient Evil, I knew I’d be coming back to this dense, raw, sinister, eerie, chaotic cloud of filthy, distorted, infectiously catchy riffs somewhat regularly. Hence, I discovered Death.

One could say that after looking at Teitanblood’s works, the most prominent influences on display are those derived from the bands that established the foundations for Death and Black Metal, whilst still developing their own character in this border between the two genres. There are some parts whose influences are incredibly evident, but then, if you try to strictly compare Teitanblood with that influence, or compare those influences among themselves, you can make out Teitanblood’s own sound and structures. Regardless of that, I think that the filthy aura of sheer aggression and cruel darkness that this album irradiates, with its guitars, drums and the most evil vocals I’ve heard, is unquestionable.

And the evolution that these guys have had over the years is also worth mentioning: each release is a more evolved version of the previous one in all aspects, while still keeping the essence that makes Teitanblood its own band. Exuding an old ancient evil feeling that comes across in everything they’ve done.

“It’s the point where Death Metal and Black Metal are not differenced” – Nsk (Guitars, Bass & Vocals.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYQwdn5E73s]

This review was written by our freelancer Victor!

Not Scientists – Leave Stickers On Our Graves


Not Scientists is one of those bands that confirms my belief of going to smaller shows, even if you don’t know all, or even any at all, of the bands that are playing that night. I got the chance to see them perform a little intimate gig here in Luxembourg and I was so impressed that I just had to chat up their singer after the show and ask whether they had any material to review. Turns out they do and that’s why I give you: Leave Stickers On Our Graves!

But first, a quick history lesson about the quartet: it features members of Uncommonmenfrommars as well as No Guts No Glory and, if you know those two bands, it won’t be hard to guess that they play punk rock. But it isn’t exactly a copy-paste of those afore-mentioned bands, but rather a more pop punk orientated sound, while still maintaining the punk rock attitude.

The six tracks are generally speaking composed of straight-forward power chords and basic drum patterns, nothing to write home about but enough to bring and keep the mood up. However, there are quite a few intricate drum fills as well as whole parts of songs that just wander into a mix of indie and almost post-rock-like tunes. It adds so much depth to the songs that it’s super easy to listen to this EP on repeat without really getting fed up.

The vocals range from cleans to half-screams and are all in all quite well performed, especially the back up vocals, which are mostly screamed, provide a really nice contrast. The only nitpick here is that I wouldn’t have minded for them to be more prominent during these eighteen minutes…but that’s probably just a personal preference. I must also say that the vocals in general were by far more energetic when they performed live, so I strongly urge you to check the guys out if they ever come near you!

To sum things up, Not Scientists are a really cool (side)project that managed to record a fun little EP that is perfect to put on a, short, road trip and I’m definitely looking forward to a full length! For more information, be sure to check out the band’s Facebook page and give the whole EP a listen below or download it for free!