My NCS collaborator IntoTheDarkness listens to all sorts of metal, but he’s got a particular weakness for deathcore — and he’s not embarrassed to admit it. There might be a deathcore band somewhere in the world he hasn’t heard yet, but I wouldn’t bet money on it. So when he told me that Italy’s Corroosion (pictured above) was really worth checking out, I couldn’t ignore that.
At the same time, he pushed me to check out a band from Long Island called Painted in Exile, which had been recommended to him by one of the dudes in Long Island’s Ever Forthright (a kick-ass band in their own right).
In both cases, IntoTheDarkness proved to be as reliable as ever. Both bands are worth some attention. Today we’re giving it to Corroosion, and tomorrow, Painted in Exile. (And by the way, these bands sound nothing alike.)
CORROOSION
Yes, we wondered about that name too, and no, it’s not a typo. This band is from Turin, and after releasing EP’s in 2007 and 2008, they put out their first album (on Rising Records) in 2009. Called Punish the Mind, it’s indeed a punisher — but in a good way. Now, if you’re dead set against deathcore, this album isn’t going to convert you. But if you’re a fan of the genre when it’s done right, or you’re still trying to make up your mind, this is a damned fine example of deathcore’s visceral appeal. (more after the jump, including songs . . .)
There’s no let-up on Punish the Mind until you reach the last song on the album (which we’ll come to momentarily). It’s one hammering face-ripper after another, with just enough technicality in the playing and shifts in the tempo to keep things interesting. The guitars and bass are tuned to provide a clanking metallic edge that’s all about rhythmic propulsion and almost not at all about melody (including the few, brief, muted guitar solos). Of course, the quite capable drumming augments the bone-rattling assault with the usual blast beats and double-bass, and some unexpected twists and turns.
It’s like being at a high-speed construction site with an army of nail-gunners and pile-drivers with an imminent deadline to meet — except unlike the cacophony of a construction crew, Corroosian’s playing is tightly in sync, and the guitar and bass riffs are built to generate an infectious groove. The vocals are also strong and they cover the landscape — hardcore howls, death-metal gutturals and shrieks, and even a few well-placed pig squeals.
It wouldn’t be deathcore without the breakdowns, and there are some doozies on Punish the Mind, no two of them quite alike. Some arrive with fanfare, others creep up on you, and some break the rhythm into a dead crawl before the rhythms erupt again into high gear.
We said the last song is cut from different cloth, and so it is. “Face of Paradoxical Existence” is more than 8 minutes in length and proceeds at a more moderate tempo. It’s dark, more complex than its predecessors, and ends with a prolonged, stripped down riff that verges on sludge. Certainly the most interesting song on the album, even if not the most crushing.
Check out this sample from Corroosion and see what you think: