ALBUM REVIEW: Lotus – Within Destruction
For every dip in mental health or relationship gone sour, a metalcore song is sure to follow. Not to say the genre has become cliché. Rather the opposite. Metalcore is a more than suitable arena for feelings of melancholy to dwell. Has it led to some sub-par entries into the pantheon? Absolutely. Though when the combination of metal and hardcore is done well, we’re presented with the heavyweights. Take WITHIN DESTRUCTION for example. The Slovenian trio not only house metallic hardcore, and some of their deathcore roots, but also elevate it with elements of hip-hop and the like. Not only do they seek to push the genre further, but with the recently released Lotus, they also step up their own game.
The title track leads the charge to in following up 2020’s Yokai. An electronic swell soon paves way for Rok Rupnik’s spine-chilling deeper vocals. The bass led instrumentals which would be more than welcome pulsating through a car’s subwoofer are filthy in nature, Rupnik’s crisp growls making for a gravitating listen. A clean chorus illuminates the idea of mental anguish being the only thing we can control in times of turmoil. Perhaps a stereotypical message for some but predictability isn’t what WITHIN DESTRUCTION are aiming for. An ominous buzz after the second chorus should allude to a breakdown worthy of many a scrunched up facial expression. However, record skips and a bass drop feel far more at home here than a “blegh” and disgusting riffs would.
If riffs are what a newcomer to the party is looking for, latest addiction Howard Fang has them in spades. Toxic comes with beautifully angular riffs which carry the weight of the world. The more traditional metalcore breakdown appears with Fang finally being able to come out the gates with a sheer wall of sound to drag that newcomer into the sludge. Though it isn’t solely heaviness we appreciate with Fang’s fretwork. The well-rounded tones which come again in THE PRODIGY-esque Survival show a little more depth to the band’s thought processes. Heavy yet make it appealing.
It quickly becomes apparent that there isn’t a second to waste with Lotus. Every moment counts as each track is packed to the rafters with sonic texture. The dark djent nature of Nightmare opens the door into WITHIN DESTRUCTION’s storytelling. The hushed tones surrounding “do you remember your darkest memories” simply melt into the meat and bones of the track while short clean choruses cleanse the palate for another go around in-your-face riffs. Following Scars shows this album is relentless in nature, much like its subject matter. Yet the experimentation with spatial sound and a softer iteration of keys hiding within the quagmire is what takes this from “just another metalcore record” to a great metalcore record.
Not everything in the garden is rosy however as we will divulge in a moment. Though how could it be when each track builds on the strengths of the last? Revenge dives into the idea of what the lust for vengeance would sound like were it served white hot instead of ice cold. Shorter choruses slice like a hot knife through butter as flourishes of bass dominate the second verse. Though what becomes difficult for us as a listener, and indeed a reviewer, is there are only so many ways we can say a breakdown is filthy. Look at Dehumanized for example. It is an absolute bulldozer of a track. Well past the halfway mark where some bands tend to falter, WITHIN DESTRUCTION keep us engaged with their brash vocals and impressive fretwork.
If anyone is expecting wall to wall riffs and the inability to hear properly, Lotus will be the album for that. Though Dying World serves things up a little differently. Featuring rapper LIL LOTUS, this is a much brighter song. The bass still makes itself at home in every body cavity we possess but clean verses flowing into a cathartic chorus come as a surprise. While there’s the slight edge of Rupnik’s growls toward the end of the chorus, they aren’t utilised much. “Your lips are whispering that I should end it all tonight” feels delightfully akin to HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD and the desperation in later “I see the way you look at me” severs the heartstrings.
Though a highlight for us, Neo-Yakuza demonstrates the feeling of some efforts not being as strong as others on Lotus. If speakers haven’t blown before this point, the tandem of bass and lower toned synths are wonderfully ominous. The beat from Luka Vezzosi further pricks the ears. For those not well verse in what’s about to come, allow us to summarise; don’t fuck with the Yakuza. Known throughout Japanese media as the Bōryokudan, this is essentially an organised crime syndicate. Somewhat like the Sicilian Mafia. With that reputation in mind, WITHIN DESTRUCTION come bolting out the gate with boast rap in its purest entity. The breakdown however doesn’t go as hard as previous, leaving it underwhelming. Their violin case containing an actual violin rather than a submachine gun.
This feeling carries on into the last two songs of the record. P.O.P has some wonderfully dark riffs and hits like a bullet train but something feels lacking. Painful to say as P.O.P does indeed go that hard. In a suite where everything else is balls to the wall energy, it becomes obvious when something falls just shy of where it’s meant to. While closing Ultima is a surprise as it comes as an instrumental of what we will call guitar porn. Crunchy riffs and undulating melodies are a joy to listen to. Grateful for this respite and moment to catch our breath, putting Ultima at the end of the record is an odd choice. A palate cleanser for sure but one we’re not sure should have been included as the finale.
Five albums in, it’s hard to deny WITHIN DESTRUCTION have found their place within the world of metalcore and feel comfortable enough to push the boundaries of the genre. Lotus is a refreshingly brutal listen. It contains the weight of metal and the harshness of hardcore but there is so much more waiting for the curious listener if only given the chance. Flying under the radar of many, Lotus may become criminally underrated across the board but we forever champion the underdog and will be using WITHIN DESTRUCTION to do just that.
Rating: 8/10
Lotus is out now via Ultra Heavy Records.
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