Soulless Hymns

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life

Density Records, 2015

http://www.facebook.com/thelasttensecondsoflife

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/25/2015

The genres of metalcore and deathcore are pretty crowded these days, and there's a good possibility that no other category of music has as many bands that are simply unlistenable. From Mansfield, Pennsylvania, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life is undoubtedly one of the best in the business, fueled by riffs, slow motion breakdowns and the guttural vocals of Storm Strope. Sure, to some people this form of abrasive music will always be unlistenable. But for fans of heavy music and those that appreciate strong musicianship, you can't deny the talent present in this band. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

“As The World Turns Over” starts out the album with nu-metal ideas before plunging into brutal sounds and tortured vocals, which again remind us that The Last Ten Seconds Of Life has clearly carved out their own sound in a very stale version of metal. "The Box" continues the onslaught with massive guitar chugging and soundbites about religion, which, seeing as you're not likely to decipher more than 10% of Strope's lyrics, gives us an indication of the subject matter.

The band also broaches post-hardcore ideas, particularly on the music of "North Of Corpus" and quick blasts of power on "Pain Is Pleasure," which even interjects some moody atmospheric moments. The song craft is even more evolved with the intricate guitar work on "Changing Forms,” and though the singing is consistently throaty and coarse, "Guillotine Queen" places some whispering before the growling.

While there's little doubt that The Last Ten Seconds Of Life is masters of their trade and capable of writing songs that metal heads will praise for decades to come, their sequencing of tracks seems either clumsy or perhaps subtly strategic. Soulless Hymns places the straightforward tracks toward the beginning. As the album moves toward the halfway point, the lightning quick drumming moves into a sludge-like pace, the tempos slows down, and the unorthodox ideas come into play. This culminates in the near classic rock solo on "Heavy Headed" and the vocal effects of "The Dream Is Dead."

While many metal bands have no problem injecting pop ideas, melodic guitar work, or even sing-a-longs to give their music some accessibility, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life has gone the opposite direction. They're angrier, heavier, and more sinister sounding. This is a listen not designed for the timid ears, but if you embrace ferocious sounds, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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