ALBUM REVIEW: Will To Power – Crucifiction
Once tarnished with a cringe or oversaturated brush, its fair to say deathcore as a subgenre is having a resurgence and reaching a more open minded, wider audience. As well as classic names such as WHITECHAPEL and JOB FOR A COWBOY returning recently with a vengeance, a new wave of bands (think PALEFACE SWISS or DOGBITE) have appeared with a more modern flair in recent years, and the debut from CRUCIFICTION looks to join them in delivering something fresh to sink your claws into.
The Florida-based collective, fronted by equally brutal new name BLOODBATHER’s Salem Vex, take a no-holds-barred approach to debut Will To Power, with absolute filth from start to finish, barely leaving you a chance to catch your breath. Opening with a chilling horror sample may not be particularly unique for this style but it sets the tone perfectly, before smashing into title track Will To Power with blistering blast beats and Salem’s high, screeching vocals that stay consistent throughout every track with every ounce of malice.
The concept of the album follows a man out to methodically seek revenge on his enemies and the journey through the record is fuelled by the horror inspiration shared by the members, every guitar section creating a sense of unease and leaving uncertainty to what comes next. Endless Torture features one of the heaviest breakdowns on the album, with backing vocals creating a more on trend harmony (if we can call it that in deathcore), whilst VHS featuring SPITE’s Darius Tehrani proves a standout thanks to his deafeningly low growls that assist with adding some variety and depth perhaps lacking across the rest of the record.
Will To Power concludes with the other feature, this time with vocals from MÉLANCHOLIA’s Alex Hill to balance out the menacing shrillness of Vex, bringing the horror to an abrupt halt. The fact both of these tracks seem to grab the most attention does slightly make you wonder if the other tracks could have been given some extra spice by having more differentiating vocals.
CRUCIFICTION’s debut is polished perfectly in terms of modern production and musical prowess, with all aspects driving the menace required of deathcore but there isn’t anything particularly out of the box when listening from start to finish. For those already a fan of the genre, its bound to be a promising addition of bands to keep an eye on and live is bound to be a spectacle but with so many others of its ilk currently out there, it may leave fans still a little bloodthirsty for more.
Rating: 6/10
Will To Power is out now via Rise Records.
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