Anticosm-Self Titled

Track 1. Kill or be Killed- As the album begins your ears are treated to a dark crusty sound of echoing music introduces a melody which also contains harrowing screams of violent delight. It's a mixture of fine tuned aggression, a slight buzzing quality to the track along with a subtle echo, though I think it does help a bit, it allows the music some space to stretch out and contain a presence, though the track is a bit crazed and out of its own mind in sorts. The melodies sound quite off, but in a decent way, the sort of music that would scare away those annoying neighbors that nobody likes. The guitar riffs themselves are a dark and fucked up serenade of fire that seems to have been summoned up from the pits of hell.

Track 2. Where Nightmares Breed- Your ears are instantly thrust into the action. There is an echo quality to the track that gives the music just a sense of sanity purging sensibility. The roars and screaming, you really can't make out what's being said, vocal clarity is horrible, but I will say I dig the fuck out of the passion. There is a decent amount, at least some enunciation between the guitars and vocals. The music almost has a feel of nonsense to it, but at the same time but also a mind boggling awesome yet fucked up feel to it. Pure aggression that's for damn sure, though the way the drums are slapping away, that seems kind of odd to me. The music continues to move around in a dizzy funnel that only confuses your ears even more.

Track 3. Black Magic-Ok, third track into the album, I am beginning to notice a pattern with the sound quality, something is definitely off, it feel's a bit constricted. A clean pair of guitar riffs begin this music nicely, it does not take long for the action to get serious. Some interesting and crazy riffs bounce back and forth in the mix. Vocals are but distant echoing growls. Guitar riffs are a bit fuzzy to the point that you can not exactly make them out, though the flow of the music seems decent. Sometimes you can sort of make the riffs out, at other times they sound like a jumbled mess. Killer solo, and on occasion you can make out great melody when it's not all bunched together. The bass sounds almost non existent quite fuzzy. Even when the clean guitars play again, they don't spread out in the mix the way you'd think that they should. The heavy parts begin again sounding ok for a few second then an utter assault that could likely destroy your ear drums, pure madness.

Track 4. The Root of all Evil- Your practically thrown head first into a random point of music that is instantly aggressive, riffs and timing seem just a bit questionable. Wow you can actually make out the roaring vocals for once and what they are saying and I totally dig the lyrical subject matter. I wish the guitar riffs were more pronounced, the overall sound of the track just feels so closed up and limited onto itself, but distant in ways as well especially with the vocals, however there are decent parts here and there. Seemingly for a moment you can make out a bad ass groove being played. The music plays so aggressive that it's almost a pace you can't seemingly enjoy.

Track 5. Killing Machine- This band just has a thing with jumping straight into the action. You can make out an aggressive groove, though the sound seems a bit held back still. An interesting syncopation to say the least. The vocals don't seem to flow very well with this one. Really liking the guitar parts that I can actually decipher. The drum's sound pretty loose at times. Liking the chugging riffs though they are a bit muffled. I can actually hear some worth while melodies that are quite heavy and rocking, though I still wish the bass guitar was more than a slick invisible muffle in the mix. A slow heavy groove fights its way through, as the music actually sound's really damn good, though the track volume seems low still.

Track 6. Lunatic- A growl and then your ear's are completely consumed by the music. At first it sound's quite good. But the track volume itself descends to what it's been known for on this record. I really hate it that at times, the drums sound weak, and you can barely hear them. Vocal clarity has been very hit or miss so far with this album, and thus far here non existent. Compelling guitar riffs here, though the whole groove of the song seems like a distant cascade of filth that you can barely enjoy.At times good parts bleed through the mix, treating you to mind boggling guitar riffs.

Track 7. Wake up in Hell- Three sharp taps of the snare drum begins this fierce ear fuck of an offering. The music just sounds' like extremely aggressive, and fast paced pain that you can barely make sense of, with the exception of a lone violent melody that sputters to the outer linings of the studio mix. The song definitely has a dark foreboding feel about it for sure. The music slow slows down and dies, only to take on a slower more interesting grooving pace, which has that consistent sound which sits back in the mix. The lead solo is actually bad ass. Other than that the music sounds like an epic reign of spinning madness sent to truly drive you insane as quickly as possible, that which it has accomplished!

Track 8. Erected from the Grave- The song is started off with a groove carries on the maddening aggression that this band favors. Listening to this music for too long could possibly make your head explode, ear drums then head, it's that fucked up. I hear interesting palm muted riffs but, I can barely make out the actual riffs. The sound quality is pissing me off, only subtle good stuff bleeds through onto your ears, that bass guitar is way too damn muffled. Good guitar solo that I can actually hear some of. These drum's are so damn weird, some I can hear, other's I have not been able to, other's don't seem to match the more aggressive parts of the music. An interesting clean melody is heard but it's a bit muffled in the mix, I only wonder how much better this album would be if sound clarity was better. The song pick's back up to become a bit more interesting but the low volume level holds your full interest back, that as well as muffled quality on the bass.

Track 9. The Season of III Wind- Some melody actually starts the song off though things die down and a very creepy clean guitar riff plays. It's not long until heavy distortion trickles in slowly. Some slow yet interesting music can be heard, track volume in the mix seems too low still. The drums are nearly non existent, why? At times I can hear the drums and only wish they like everything else were more prominent within the mix. Everything seems to be so drawn back into a void where sound trickles out. The music flows well a bit, just wish it was louder, hearing parts here and there that I do like. Vocal's as usual are hit or miss. You can't really get into the music at times, and at others it's quite good.

Track 10- Land Down Under- An interesting drum roll begins things, and then the song becomes a cluster fuck assault on your ears. Basically it's the same all or nothing this band consists of. I will say this, the vocal lyrical clarity is much better on this track, the best on the entire album, not all the way through but in places here and there within this track definitely. The lead guitar is really the only thing that ascends from the music with a note worthy element of distinct wonder. The music slows down, getting interesting and even fading away, until it instantly explodes upon you. It's like an annoying thing that won't die or go away.

This review has really given me a headache. It's been very much a mixed bag, some good if not great parts, but they were weighed down by parts that you could not make sense of in the mix. The bass guitar was constantly fuzzy and muffled when it was exposed, that really pissed me off. Also I don't mind roaring even if you can't always hear the words, but damn enunciate with the fucking guitar riffs! In places the drums seemed both strong and weak, and also not lining up with the overall aggression of certain tracks. In places this band is strong, in others quite weak. The first area of concern is recording/ sound quality, fix that and they MAY have something to start with. Right now, very much a mixed bag.

Rating 5/10

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