ALBUM REVIEW: The Pain Made Me Who I Am – AXTY
As their first release on Napalm Records, Brazilian newcomers AXTY need to make a lasting impression with their new album, The Pain Made Me Who I Am. How do they intend to do that? By producing crushing tracks that take you by surprise, and not being afraid to have a bit of fun alongside their gut punching mix of deathcore and metalcore.
Opener pain made me hits straight away, with low tuned distorted guitar strokes leading the charge. Paired with a layered mix of a repetitive rap groove and brutal squeal beneath, this intro track leaves you wanting more. We quickly move onto who i am, featuring a rolling riff, paired with nu-hardcore style vocals from Felipe Hervoso. The chorus leans to the melodic side, accentuated with well timed heavier vocals. A creative mix of drum beats is delivered by Gabriel Vacari, especially towards the midpoint of the song. The riff itself almost reminds of something upcoming band FOX LAKE would produce. And finally, what song would be complete without a Steve Carell meme drop? It’s definitely unexpected, but adds a fun layer to a pretty intense breakdown.
dismay jumps in with groovy riffs and pinch harmonics, a rap sounding verse and heavy hitting growls. The chorus gives some light relief becoming more reminiscent of a heavy rock track, but that doesn’t last long. Technically, AXTY throw in some really interesting and unexpected elements. There’s a moment where a higher tuned guitar chord progression seems to come out of nowhere, Hervoso mixes up their vocal tone to a drawn out almost KORN style whine, blast beats draw in another meme drop, and the song concludes with some dirty screams. It’s a lot to process, and definitely needs to be listened to a couple of times for it all to sink in.
A funky drum beat carries the flow of all i love, definitely taking a front row seat for the duration. The chorus gives a more atmospheric vibe, with drawn out melodies giving a heartfelt feel. This track delivers a unique variation in style, and whilst on paper it might feel like too many contrasts, it works incredibly well.
The first single released for the album, end this, also happens to be the closing track. Mixing elements of nu-metal and metalcore, Hervoso impressively switches between melodic hooks and brutal uncleans. With dynamic rhythm, a deceptive break towards the end of the track which then blasts the listener into a heavy deathcore breakdown, and obvious musical talent, the song is a great ending to a whirlwind of an album.
AXTY have achieved something which is getting gradually harder as time goes on: originality. Mixing deathcore with hip hop and atmospheric melodies is one thing, but being able to have a fun side to it all which catches listeners off guard is impressive. Whatever your thoughts are on the music itself, you’ll definitely enjoy not being able to guess what’s coming next in this release.
Rating: 9/10
The Pain Made Me Who I Am is out now via Napalm Records.