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The band formerly known as Krvnk has come back as Chapter VIII and mixed together a lot of stylistic cues to produce something that I could see fans of Slipknot, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, and Uphill Battle enjoying.
After an instrumental opener, a soundbite from the excellent film "Dark City" segues into the first full track. "Let's see, a touch of unhappy childhood... ah, a dash of teenage rebellion... and last but not least, a tragic death in the family." There are furious barked vocals and twisted drum breakdowns to go with the dissonant guitars and mostly invisible bass. The production is pretty good for an independent job, although the snare drum and high tom in particular seem to suffer a bit by being perhaps too high in the mix.
When the band allows a groove to dominate, it works rather well. The hardcore vocals atop thunderous rolling drums during these groove sections work very well. In fact, this may be the band's greatest strength. To mix things up, clean guitar parts are peppered throughout the album. There is even a bit of a bass solo, or at least an isolated bass lick [with drum accompaniment], in "Never Catch the Sun." During the album's ‘clean parts’ there is even some Beach Boys-esque vocalizing which is quickly massacred by bludgeoning beats, riffs, and shouts.
At times invoking the menace of mid-era Neurosis or even Mastodon, Chapter VIII is clearly good fun for the kiddies. Or at least this kiddie enjoyed it. This is very well done for an independent release from an independent band. I may have to track down these gentlemen and catch 'em live somewhere in Virginia since I'm a bit of a local now.... If you're sick and tired of the Metalcore thing, this likely is not for you. However, Chapter VIII has enough variation and originality in their sound to command a greater audience and even your attention. Perhaps local boys Lamb of God could hook 'em up with an opening slot or something more, if they haven't already. Could we hear Prosthetic Records calling soon? Parting shot: the cover of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” is not without merit. Musically it sounds like the original on steroids. The vocals start off in a bit of a croon only to give way to prototypical hardcore yelling. Fun stuff, but then I generally like cover songs, especially when taken out of their original element or/and context.
"I don't think the sun even exists...." \m/
| Tracklist |
| 1. In Paralysis |
| 2. Hourglass |
| 3. Heartbreaker |
| 4. Never Catch The Sun |
| 5. Looking Down The Path |
| 6. No End |
| 7. Bury Me In The Shade |
| 8. The Life Inside |
| 9. Skeletons |
| 10. White Wedding [Billy Idol cover] |
: 34.04
| Buy other Chapter VIII albums |
