ALBUM REVIEW: Elegy – Shadow Of Intent
The meteoric rise of SHADOW OF INTENT in recent years has been one of the success stories of the modern deathcore scene. The once Halo-themed band’s blend of razor-sharp technicality, crushing brutality and bombastic symphonic orchestration is a match made in heaven and the impact of 2019’s staggeringly excellent Melancholy firmly established SHADOW OF INTENT as one of deathcore’s flagship names. Now comes Elegy, the band’s fourth full-length record. With the wind in their sails, the anticipation has never been greater.
Where Melancholy was much more immediately grabbing with the one-two punch of the title track and Gravesinger, on Elegy, SHADOW OF INTENT‘s more measured approach pays dividends; especially for those on repeated listens. Album opener Farewell slowly builds through a sweeping orchestra before unleashing a cacophony of blistering riffs and Ben Duerr‘s now trademark guttural growls, whilst Saurian King‘s dynamic tempo changes keeps you on your toes rather than blowing you away right from the get-go.
The opening foray all builds to The Coming Fury, a track that showcases SHADOW OF INTENT at their very best. Here, majestic orchestration blends perfectly with the pulverising deathcore to make a track that feels as epic as it does bludgeoning, and it is just one example across the record’s runtime where the band’s multiple components fire on all cylinders.
Of Fury and Intensified Genocide sit comfortably at the middle of the record and serve as a familiar and brutal introduction to the album’s second half, with Of Fury‘s delicious melodic links complimenting the chugging riffs rather nicely, whilst Intensified Genocide is SHADOW OF INTENT at their most visceral and the resulting experience is nothing short of emphatic.
As Elegy continues to unfolds its multiple layers, it’s clear that SHADOW OF INTENT are a much more elaborate beast this time round. Take Life Is Exile for example. Quite arguably one of the most restrained songs the band have penned to date, the subtlety of the band’s symphonics and clean vocals are given much more room to breathe here and in the context of the record as one whole piece, it serves as a wicked bridge from Intensified Genocide into Where Millions Have Come To Die.
Not all of what SHADOW OF INTENT offer this time round hits the mark though. Reconquest is a largely forgettable instrumental number that offers practically nothing and its placement at the tail end of the record right before the emphatically epic closing trilogy of the title track hinders the initial impact somewhat. Equally, the guest spots of WHITECHAPEL‘s Phil Bozeman and TESTAMENT‘s Chuck Billy, on Where Millions Have Come To Die and Blood In The Sands of Time respectively, do little if anything to bolster the band’s already explosive firepower. But the biggest issue with Elegy is its length. Clocking in at an hour, the phrase of less is more couldn’t be more appropriate as the bloat that is present here only makes the album’s latter stages feel like a slog. With the fat trimmed, Elegy‘s impact would be nothing shy of colossal.
Patience is a virtue and such is the case with Elegy. Whilst it doesn’t quite have the same urgency or intoxicating pull as its predecessor, there’s much to love with Elegy; more so after repeated listens. What this record shows is a band willing to continue to nurture and organically develop their sound to the next phase, and given what’s on offer with Elegy, SHADOW OF INTENT can rest assured it’s a job well done. Give it the time and patience it deserves and Elegy will surely establish itself as one of the key albums that continues modern deathcore’s dominance in extreme music.
Rating: 8/10
Elegy is out now via Blood Blast Distribution.
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