ALBUM REVIEW: Simulations Of Hell – Serration

Well SERRATION definitely aren’t messing around are they? Their new album Simulations Of Hell – technically their debut seeing as 2020’s Shrine Of Consciousness was actually a compilation of two previous EPs – is barely over 13 minutes long, and it should come as no surprise to anyone that it’s an absolute ripper. And yet even within that this Alberta-based metallic hardcore outfit find some room for nuance and ebb and flow in a way that really makes this record a well-rounded overall experience – fleeting though it may be.

The first order of business however is definitely violence, and anyone who has heard the band’s previous efforts will be well aware that they really do have that nailed. Opener Boreal Serpent demonstrates a lot of it in just 67 seconds, all dissonant and chaotic and bewildering but still with enough time to drop a big face-scrunching breakdown. Like most of Simulations Of Hell, it’s the kind of track you need to listen to about ten times to really grab a hold of, one of the most immediate takeaways being the remarkable ping of Colter James’ snare which cracks through a relatively raw mix that suits the band’s feral attack perfectly.

For such a short record it is perhaps a little strange that three of its biggest highlights have been released already, particularly as they account for roughly half the total runtime. But whether the band have given too much of the game away or not, you certainly can’t fault their choice in singles. At three-and-a-half minutes, A Suicide Note In Midi Format is the longest by some way and is marked out most of all by the soaring clean vocals of Emma Boster of the band’s previous splitmates DYING WISH. Elsewhere, David Blom of SANCTION lends his forceful bellow to Altar Of Guilt, while Shroud Of Gnarled Tongues balances a melodic, expansive edge with sheer chugging power for just about everything you could ask of a metalcore throwback.

That isn’t to say the rest of the stuff saved for the record isn’t strong either; Chaos Daemon and the title track are both as solid and savage as anything else, but it’s the addition of a couple of brief but well-placed interludes – one on an acoustic guitar and another on piano – plus a moody moment of reflection right at the end of the record that brings a few extra layers to Simulations Of Hell. Of course, these are hardly the wildest choices a band like SERRATION has ever made, but they are still sensible ones, the kind that make a record that really is a case of blink and you’ll miss it feel far more fleshed out and consistently engaging.

Ultimately then, Simulations Of Hell is an album that understands and absolutely nails its main assignment – that of being a vicious metalcore record – while squeezing in a little extra credit for good measure even when time is as tight as it is. It’s a proper gunshot of a record that generally demands at least a couple of spins on every playthrough, and even at a time when there are plenty of bands adopting a vaguely similar old school metalcore approach, here SERRATION assert their place among the very best of them.

Rating: 8/10

Simulations Of Hell is set for release on September 15th via DAZE.

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