ALBUM REVIEW: Halfway Human – Within The Ruins

Boston progressive deathcore quartet WITHIN THE RUINS have just released their follow up to 2014’s Phenomena entitled Halfway Human. Despite this being their 5th full length release and the band already having established a major foothold in the genre the main question on everyone’s lips is can it make an impact in one of metal’s most highly contested sub-genres?

Halfway Human certainly hits the ground running with hard hitting, powerful guitar onslaughts from the onset and especially shines in the previously released Death Of The Rockstar, their declaration addressing their annoyance at the current state of the music industry, which is saturated with infectious, groove ridden riffs and disjointed, quirky time signatures interlaced with a soothing chorus.

WITHIN THE RUINS recorded the album in their own studio and guitarist Joe Cocchi took the reins on production duties alongside Jim Fogarty at Zing Studios and it was definitely the right decision as the mix sounds clear and concise which makes every note and drum beat sound razor sharp and this shines through particularly with the mind boggling fills on show in newly released single Objective Reality and the unshakable onslaught of sound displayed in Incomplete Harmony.

Even though Halfway Human packs a serious punch and is filled with copious amounts of quirky, intricate riffing, piercing vocals and pulsating drumming which are all prime examples of a band that have clearly nurtured and developed their craft it doesn’t deliver enough in the form of variety to completely grasp the listener for the entirety, it begins to become a little too predictable towards the latter stages. Despite this, the album is still packed full of energy and passion which is sure to grab the attention of any avid metal fan.

Rating: 7/10

Halfway Human is out now via Long Branch Records.

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