Album/EP

Carnifex - Slow Death (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

/10

Jul 17, 2016

7 min read

Carnifex - Slow Death

Out 5th August, 2016

Carnifex Line Up —

Scott Lewis // Vocals
Shawn Cameron // Drums
Jordan Lockrey // Lead Guitar
Cory Arford // Rhythm Guitar & Backing Vocals
Fred Calderon // Bass

Carnifex Online —

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Way back in the good ol’ days of 2012, Carnifex went on hiatus and… Well that’s it. Another deathcore band packed it in for the time being and decided to do other things. Those other things were, I can only assume, torture themselves or murder their families because only two years later, they released Die Without Hope, a monolith among the weeds of the then very bland deathcore scene. The main question is though, have they continued the momentum with their upcoming release? Short answer: yes. Long answer…

Fuck yes.

Slow Death has the privilege of being one of the most brutal releases this year, so far at least, primarily due to the range of sounds that are on offer. The black metal influences that have slowly seeped into their albums over the years have, it seems, finally soaked in, as the terrifying screeching of Scott Lewis and the relentless drumming of Shawn Cameron have ratcheted up another notch, almost reminiscent of early Behemoth. Album opener ‘Dark Heart Ceremony’ exemplifies just how far the band has descended into the darkness, as an ominous piano introduction devolves into exemplary drum work, smooth, fast and absolutely thundering whilst Lewis’ vocals are throat tearingly evil, setting the tone for the rest of the album to come.

Never fear though, Carnifex are definitely a deathcore/death metal band for those so inclined, with plenty of their old sound to go around. ‘Pale Ghost’ and title track ‘Slow Death’ are as deathcore as it gets, replete with stomping riffs and brilliant deep throated growls. It’s a testament to Carnifex’s skills and maturity that they can make even these less blackened songs sound incredible, as their peers fail to do in most cases. The main reason for this is the work of Jordan Lockrey; never letting the instrumentality of the song fall into monotony, expertly weaving in a solo here or a tweak to the main riff there, making every second of a song evocative and wholly interesting. Not to mention heavy as fuck.

Wondrously enough, the record was produced by Mick Kenney from Anaal Nathrakh fame and it shows. Every instrumental aspect of Slow Death is mixed to perfectly fit the personality of Carnifex, meaning, it isn’t a highly polished, spotless mix, but one that truly reflects the heaviness and tone of the album as whole. The first single ‘Drown Me In Blood’ is an exemplar of this mix; the guitars have gritty tone to them that imbues a feeling of being ground to fine dust by an ever expanding black hole then blown away on the whirlwind flurries that are the closing solo.

Slow Death is anything but it’s namesake. It’s a free falling descent into the pits of hell, a journey that not only destroys your neck but annihilates your throat. Carnifex are the premier band in this scene and Slow Death is ten reasons why.

7/10

-- Dylonov Tomasivich

Slow Death Track Listing —