Within Destruction - ANIMETAL (Album Review)

Within Destruction – ANIMETAL
Released: April 11, 2025

Line Up

Rok Rupnik // Vocals
Howard Fang // Guitar & Vocals
Luka Vezzosi  // Drums

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When bands start to move away from their original sound, it always feels like a major risk. The risk does not always pay off, but as Slovenia’s Within Destruction continues to prove, sometimes it is worth taking that chance. Slowly the band has been changing, reconstructing their sound and the evolution has reached its next form with the band’s latest album; ANIMETAL.

One constant has been the influence of mediums such as anime and video games, and furthermore a deeper interest in Japanese aesthetics and pop culture- and they have taken this influence and represented it in a sonic format- almost expertly. Moving from a strict deathcore sound into what they have now coined as ‘animetal’ with this album, they walked a tight line on what could be considered gimmicky, but the sheer complexity and musicianship behind the songs on this album have quickly crushed any concerns that I did have going into it.

From the first listen, the title track ‘Animetal’ may seem a little cheesy, especially with what is essentially an idol fan chant, but ultimately- that’s what makes the track so great. It takes that modern metalcore sound and pulls in pop sensibilities. It does not sacrifice heavy breakdowns, rather it uses them to link fun samples and catchy-as-hell choruses. 

This is a theme that continues throughout the album. Songs like ‘Demon Child’ and ‘Kanishibari’ take on a modern metalcore sound, drawing influences from nu-metal rhythms and grooves. Sounding like tracks from movie soundtracks, especially ‘Kanishibari’ giving Anne Rice vampire film vibes- you cannot help but get immersed in the music. Add in the djent-influenced riffs and detailed moments from guitarist Howard Fang keeping you on your toes- the devil is in the details. ‘Fate II Separate’ is another example of this. A massive breakdown, impressive guitar solo work and a cinematic level of depth to its choruses, again akin to a movie soundtrack. 

Creative soundscapes play a big role throughout the album too, with songs like ‘Bitter Embrace’ and ‘Cyber Girl’ delivering full moments that capture a unique world and story unto its own. Every emotion and motif in the lyrics and vocal delivery can be felt just as well as it can be heard. Going beyond just listening to music- it is like stepping into a story that is unfolding around you. 

‘Cyber Girl’ also has a resemblance to some of the emocore electro style music that found its way to MySpace back in the day, but in a revitalised, modernised and well-written form. If this was 2005, a MySpace scene queen would 100% use this track as their profile song with the lyrics typed under a caption. ‘Incomplete’ also has that emo banger/post-hardcore soul to it. For a band that released a slam EP not that long ago, I would not have expected this kind of song to be on one of their albums, but they have nailed it. The breakdown kicks in and you remember just how heavy this band can be, but for this elder emo metalcore-loving writer, it just resonates on all levels.

Vocally, there is so much depth and a lot more experimentation happening than previous releases. Frontman Rok Rupnik’s classic harsh vocal delivery keeps us in familiar territory, dipping into raspy growls, nasty bleurghs and gritty slower, more spoken sections. These juxtapose nicely with Fang’s melodic cleans. ‘Stay 4Ever’ highlights this wonderfully. It’s a fun tune that also dips into that post-hardcore, pop-metal catchiness while highlighting the technical skill of all three band members.

Don’t worry though, if you are craving the heaviness that this band does oh so well, the last few songs on the album will satisfy. Even with the clean vocals in the chorus, ‘Automation’ is monstrous- complete with techy breakdowns that just scratch the brain in the right way. 

‘Hide & Sick’ also hit in the right spot of heaviness, but the addition of the EDM sections takes it from being a standard heavy track to one of the most memorable on the album- at least for me. The breakdown is nasty. The guitars are squealing. The bass is thumping. If you thought ANIMETAL was a gimmick, then this song will prove otherwise. 

The final two tracks on the album, ‘Torment’ and ‘A Love That Slowly Died’ really wrap up the story that this album is trying to tell. ‘Torment’ has the intensity and the darkness of facing the final boss. The dig deep into your psyche, the doubt before having to step into the fight and the final breath before delivering the final blow. The modulated vocals, the sultry rhythm section, the heavy artillery-sounding drumming by Luca Vezzosi and build into one of the most crushing song finales on the album. It’s epic and segues into the final track stunningly. 

From an epic to anthemic, ‘A Love That Slowly Died’ is the aftermath. It’s melancholic, playing with softness in emotion while still sonically quite full. Finishing on a moment that both lingers emotionally but audibly abruptly, it allows reflection on the artistry just listened to.

In all honesty, I came into this album expecting a pretty standard modern metalcore album, with a few gimmicky anime moments- but I could not have been more wrong. That is on my ignorance of this band. Not only was I completely blown away by the complexity of this record but I found myself consistently immersed in the depth of the sound. Going back and listening to previous releases, the sonic evolution that this band cannot be ignored. They understand pop sensibilities, incorporating them into the songwriting process without turning their backs on breakdowns or huge metal moments.

It may not be a favourite amongst the elitists out there, but at the end of the day, who really cares? It has depth without taking itself too seriously. While I did kind of side-eye some of the more stadium rock moments and formulaic metalcore conventions- they were used so sparsely that it was easy to move past.

I guess, it is like anime. A misunderstood and misrepresented, filled with hidden gems, incredible artistry and masterful story telling if you just give it a chance. 

Rating: 9/10
‍ANIMETAL is out April 11th via Sumerian Records. Order/Stream here. 
Review by Kayla Hamilton @kaylazomboid