ALBUM REVIEW: Sculpture of Violence – Giver

Whilst melodic hardcore has enjoyed a period of sustained success thanks to bands like COUNTERPARTS, STICK TO YOUR GUNS and COMEBACK KID enjoying fruitful careers, in truth, the style has lacked the explosive spark that was first ignited in the early 2000s through the work of HAVE HEART and MODERN LIFE IS WAR. Enter German quintet GIVER who intend to make a strong statement of intent with sophomore effort, Sculpture of Violence.

On the surface, one would anticipate that Sculpture of Violence is a no holds barred bout of bleak musical ferocity. The ominous album title and themes that explore very real and distressing events we are experiencing in the modern age certainly indicate this and there are moments where the band come out swinging. Opening salvo Night Season is characterised by a vicious pace as Robert Anderson‘s frantic vocal deliveries combine with the slick riffing from guitarists Benedikt Ricken and Julian Schulze whilst ample gang shouts are deployed across the record, particularly on These Words Are Rain, injects an empowering sense of aggression to proceedings. When the band up the ante, the results are incendiary as the stomping New Gods proves through it’s two and a half minute romp, further showcasing that GIVER have the ability to pack a powerful punch.

And yet, Sculpture of Violence is a deceptive listen, there is in fact a subtle but copious amount of melody acting as the linchpin for GIVER‘s musical romp, enabling the record to be much more of a multifaceted listen as opposed to being just another typical hardcore record. Every Age Has Its Dragons (Like An Empire) benefits from the injection of melody in the riffs allowing the song to have a much more memorable and lasting connection whilst the fragility of the guitarwork in Evil Is allows Anderson‘s vocals to have a much more powerful impact.

It’s clear that GIVER walk a tightrope of melody and ferocity and the way in which they have fused these two elements is absolutely world class and showcases a level of quality that melodic hardcore has been screaming for. Even in the record’s latter stages, the band still glisten with quality and offer final bouts of euphoric triumphs. A triple whammy of the record’s final three tracks offers an explosive and soaring conclusion to an album that has been consistently impressive. From the stomping pace of Imitation Dreams that packs some of the best riffs on the record, the dissonantly heavy Longing For Death which shows the band at their heaviest thanks to a clever use of varying pace, or the triumphant and uplifting finale that is Built In The Difference ends Sculpture of Violence with a bang rather than a whimper.

Given the heavy subject matter that lies at the epicentre of this record, it would have been easy for GIVER to wallow in the misery and produce an album that is consistently bleak. Instead, Sculpture of Violence calls for resistance, a rallying call to fight for change. With a youthful vibrancy lying at the core of their melodic hardcore sound, GIVER shine a ray of light in the consuming darkness and this record demonstrates a band that is bursting at the seams with potential.

Rating: 8/10

Sculpture of Violence is out now via Holy Roar Records.

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