ALBUM REVIEW: Death Is This World – Jagged Vision

Three years since their debut which sparked a European tour with KYLESA, JAGGED VISION have returned with their new record, Death Is This World. The Norwegian outfit, who have risen to high ranks in the underground scene, offer their take on both hardcore and stoner.

Kicking off with Betrayer, JAGGED VISION show no holding back. Straight into fast-paced and chugging riffs alike, the record cracks off to a brilliant start. Vocalist Ole Urke Wik takes the stage with his abilities, bringing the whole song together and giving very strong impressions for Death is this World. Almost Eastern influences are present in this track, making for an interesting listen and is an example of the band delving into new sounds and ideas. A solo ties the song up excellently, bringing a whole new flavour to the track.

Euthanasia follows through with the ferocity, however in a much slower manner than the opening track. More of JAGGED VISION’s stoner elements really shine in this track, screaming “Euthanasia.” Incredible drums from Joakim Svela accompany destroying riffs, and a great display of synergy between members.

The title track is an absolute ripper on this album, albeit a little short. Its length, however, does resonate with its significantly more hardcore-oriented sound. This sounds like a positive thing, but it identifies a slight downside that this album occasionally has; it’s too ‘divided’. Some songs sound more like stoner than hardcore, and vice versa, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just makes for harder immersion into the record at times. Generally, the mix of stoner with more hardcore sounds works well.

The inclusion of an acoustic guitar section in An Emperor of Foul Intent is a great touch, adding depth to the track and bringing forth proper emotion. The solo accompanying it works gloriously, before throwing you back into the devastating riffs you originally come to JAGGED VISION for. A real contender for the highlight of the album, Feeble Souls brings forth powerful riffs with emotive vocals, which hit hard and make a real impact on your memory. Some tracks on the record, like those already mentioned, are significantly more memorable than others, but they carry the record on to a strong position.

Naturally, there are plenty of potential downfalls when a new member replaces an old one in a band. JAGGED VISION have brought in a new guitarist (Tommy Jacobsen) and bassist (Morten Transeth), replacing previous members Daniel Vier and Kato Austrått, yet it has had no negative impact on their sound whatsoever. The new-bloods to the band may well have been part of what has improved JAGGED VISION‘s sound, alongside more collaboration between band members. This collaboration and inclusion of each band member in the writing process is really apparent in each track, as it’s clear the band are a single unit, as opposed to five musicians playing different renditions of what they want out of the band.

Death Is This World is a great record. For a band who have seen a number of changes to how they work relatively early on in their career, they’ve pulled off a cracking record that is absolutely worthy of any metal fan’s collection, especially those interested in Hardcore and Stoner. It may have moments where it’s slightly weaker than other parts of the record, but on the whole, it’s definitely worthy of a listen.

Rating: 7/10

Death Is This World is out now via Fysisk Format.

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