A Night In Texas - Digital Apocalypse (Album Review)
A Night in Texas - Digital Apocalypse
Released: August 2, 2024
Line Up
Cory Judd // Guitar
Angus Gasson // Guitar
Luke Adkins // Bass
Anthony Barone // Drums
Sam Cameron // Vocals
Online
A Night in Texas have been quietly heralded as one of the next big things in Australian deathcore, thanks largely to their rather fantastic double album extravaganza The Divine Dichotomy. The Cairns lads have regrouped with new screamer Sam Cameron for utterly brutal Digital Apocalypse. It’s a crowded scene so what are ANIT bringing to stand out?
The opener ‘Programmed to Suffer’ is a bruising start with synths adding a layer to the precision riffing. Cameron’s ability to shift between growl and shriek is immediately on show and will be a comfort to the band’s fans. There’s a nihilistic flavour to his lyrics, which is further emphasised on ‘The Destruction of Everything’. Whilst it’s fairly standard deathcore fare, there’s a female vocal that wails in the back of the mix and a killer guitar solo. Drummer Anthony Barone really gets his feet set and nails a lengthy double kick section.
The full extent of their power is weaponised on the lethal ‘Welcome to the Gulag’. The riff sits somewhere near thrash with Barone adding blastbeats. This is tech-deathcore done right with a musicality that others might lack and, as far as deathcore goes, it’s pretty catchy. Another shorter song follows, ‘Mechanized Genocide’, in which the band really grinds the breakdown so it should be a sweet addition to future setlists.
The Cory Judd and Angus Gasson combo proves to be well in sync at this stage, with songs like ‘The Chamber’ featuring a variety of riffs and an ability to add a touch of melody through the leads. When Judd/Gasson work in sync with the Luke Adkins/Barone rhythm section the impact is felt from your neck through your spine to your hips and will incite listeners to move their body. ‘Engraved in Time’ will trigger such reactions. The female vocal returns too, for both ‘The Chamber’ and ‘Engraved in Time’, with a wail that highlights the suffering in the song. This also ties together the album’s man vs digital concept, which is a cool touch for fans who listen to full albums.
For all the theatrics, not that it’s over the top at all, it’s nice to dig into a couple of songs that just slap hard. ‘Death Protocol’ and ‘Apex of Agony’ are a pair of brutal singles. The closing combo of ‘Neural Malignancy’ and the blackened hardcore simplicity of ‘Cybernetic Conquest’ end the album on a fiery burst that will work for long time fans.
Digital Apocalypse isn’t a revolution but is a natural evolution from their previous work that represents some of the best deathcore in the genre. It fits together as a concept album, but doesn’t get dragged down by it, and never ever compromises on being anything but bloody and brutal.
A Night In Texas - Digital Apocalypse tracklisting
1. Programmed To Suffer
2. The Destruction Of Everything
3. Welcome To The Gulag
4. Mechanized Genocide
5. The Chamber
6. Engraved In Time
7. Death Protocol
8. Apex Of Agony
9. Neural Malignancy
10. Cybernetic Conquest
Rating: 8.5 / 10
Digital Apocalypse is out August 2 via Unique Leader Recordings. Pre Order here.
Review by KJ Draven (Twitter X and Instagram).
