EP REVIEW: Crawl To The Throne – The Dialectic
THE DIALECTIC are described as straight-up modern American metal and that brand is clear across their five-track EP Crawl To The Throne. It is also apparent over the course of the runtime that this is very much a culmination of the key bands from particular waves and eras over the last 20 years and somewhere in that amalgamation is a more defined sound that is yet to really come to the forefront.
Bands like LAMB OF GOD are a clear reference point but in THE DIALECTIC’s case, it’s closer to a WHITECHAPEL in the way certain elements of their sound come together. There’s an element of pick your poison across the material here with different tracks taking the same core elements but adding in additional flavours from their various influences.
Opening track OBEY! has a lot of deathcore colour running through it with a long and drawn out spoken vocal section that really makes you wait for the punch. It’s in moments like that where you will immediately be able to name their favourite bands, but in borrowing so much the larger picture is more of a jack of all trades collage than the refined machine that those influences have become known for.
Whether it’s the addition of pick scrapes or symphonic elements, there’s a lot of throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. Title track Crawl To The Throne feels like the best example of keeping the focus on writing memorable songs over pressing buttons to see what noises come out. It has a solid deathcore mantra that anchors the track and is certainly the lasting memory from this collection of songs.
THE DIALECTIC’s scattergun approach to incorporating various influences and staples of American metal does add some variety but overall, it lessens the impact. There is a band here that is capable of pulling these experiments off, but in this form it’s more like testing the waters rather than doing laps with confidence.
Rating: 6/10
Crawl To The Throne is set for release on November 17th via Seek & Strike.
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