ALBUM REVIEW: Severance – Guilt Trip
Who expected a new MALEVOLENCE record so soon? Nobody, not even MALEVOLENCE themselves, but we’ve got one, albeit in a slightly different form. Severance, the new album from metallic hardcore bruisers GUILT TRIP is releasing on the Sheffield titans’ MLVLTD imprint, and sonically there’s more than a little shared DNA between the two, particularly looking back prior to The Other Side EP. That is to say, GUILT TRIP trade in big, burly metallic hardcore that heaves, slams and batters throughout Severance’s 35-minute runtime, and what it lacks in originality it makes up for in sheer belligerent aggression.
Fallen At My Feet (spin)kicks the album off, barely 80 seconds of furious groove, squealing harmonic riffs and barked vocals that feeds into the rampaging Surrounded By Pain. It’s practically unnecessarily hench, all chest-beating groove and bravado, hitting like a fist to the face. Severance continues much in this vein for its opening gambit until Reaching Paradise, an instrumental interlude that eschews the violence for a somewhat atmospheric build-up with entwined guitars reminiscent of interludes that might’ve been penned by TRIVIUM or – of course – MALEVOLENCE. It effectively acts as a build into Tearing Your Life Away, which promptly resumes the visceral stomping.
After a bludgeoning opening half, Broken Wings flirts briefly with melody and sung vocals, before shifting back into its groove-laden riffing, but from that moment there’s far more appearances of singing, particularly on Hell Will Replace The Rain as it switches gears in its first minute for a yearning vocal line backed by sole guitar. The band don’t seem to be able to quite commit to it though, as they bring back the sledgehammer approach for its closing half. There’s a clear desire to mix the two elements on display, but it’s not quite sticking the landing yet, instead acting as a quickly-forgotten feature.
The title track makes another attempt at blending the two; the guitars are two parts chug and one part pinch harmonics, while vocally it dials into early 2000s metalcore, particularly BLEEDING THROUGH, for its approach to melody. Fortunately this time, the clean vocals actually recur and even end the song, making a far more successful go of the combination. Closer Dusk fully embraces its inner Higher Place, a soft croon to start that feels like it’s about to burst into a towering power ballad at any moment but regrettably never does, in something of a muted end to the record.
Overall, Severance is good; the beatdown and metallic hardcore elements are excellently done, with plenty of pit fodder, while vocally the barks are commanding and sure to incite plenty of live violence. Ultimately though, a little more of their own identity wouldn’t go amiss; metallic hardcore might have a particular sound, but GUILT TRIP are bound too tightly to their influences and Severance plays it a little too safe on every occasion. No doubt it’ll serve them well, as it’s convincingly done and extremely entertaining regardless, bringing plenty of belligerence and a tiny splash of vulnerability to its pit-starting anthems.
Rating: 7/10
Severance is set for release on September 22nd via MLVLTD Music.
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