Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore
Label: Unsigned
Date of Release: February 17, 2013
ENERGETIC MELODIC METAL
Washington
D.C. is a place that is shown to be a location of a decent sleuth of famed
metal and hardcore acts, including Darkest Hour and Animals As Leaders.
Terracide is one of the newest additions to this roster, having formed very
early in 2013. They are a quartet founded by vocalist and guitarist Daniel
Tidwell, and also consisting of guitarist Josh Winn, bassist Wayne Courtright,
and drummer Mike Lumer. Soon after forming, the group entered Tower Studio to
have their newest release recorded and mixed with the help of French producer
Brett Caldas-Lima, who has also worked with bands such as Xerath and Shannon. The
end result is the band’s debut EP entitled “Primordium,” which contains three
tracks that will mark the group’s first footsteps into the metal realm.
Starting
off, the musicianship and production both hold up quite well. The vocals
possess a decent range stretching between higher-pitched screamed vocals and
some potent clean singing, and they are overall done nicely. Although the harsh
vocals do tend to be a little monotonous throughout the album, they are
nonetheless decent. The guitars also play their part greatly, demonstrating
some powerful and robust melodies, complete with some occasional solos. The
drums also fare well in this EP, being rather fast-paced and teeming with loads
of energy, along with the previously noted elements of musicianship. The
production is another positive point for the release, where everything in the
instrumentation is both audible and crisp. As a whole, both the musicianship
and the sound production are done nicely in this starting effort.
In
this record’s three tracks, “Primordium” is packed with a modern fusion of melodic
death metal and metalcore. On a frank perspective, the music itself is generic,
and does not offer much innovation or intrigue in terms of the melodic
metalcore genre. However, with that in mind, just because something is generic
does not necessarily mean it is by any means a bad release. In fact, the genre
is displayed well in this EP. There is a ton of vibrancy to be found in this
short release, and each song is designed to hit its listeners hard with some
potent helpings of melodic metal. All in all, the formula does succeed, and it
likely would get a live crowd moving with its energy. However, that isn’t to
say all of “Primordium” is pure, aggressive melodic metalcore, because, while
they are far in between, there are a few softer moments where the record can
just breathe, and, as a result, make the melodic punches even heavier. Overall,
despite the fact that the melodic metal tunes to be found here are undeniably
generic, they are nonetheless quite enjoyable.
In
terms of lyrics, this EP appears to deal with subjects along the lines of epic
mythology and history. The overall tone of them is rather positive and
uplifting, but this sadly does lend to the lyrics being a little cheesy at
certain times, including the lines “We are the bringers of our destiny” and “I
am your shield, your sword, your guide.” Even so, however, they do nonetheless
hold up nicely, and their vigorous nature is boosted by the enthusiasm behind
the screaming and the singing of these lines. As well as both instrumentally
and musically, the release fares well in terms of its lyrical content.
“Primordium”
has proven to be a solid and very promising first step forward for this new band. Everything in
this brief release is generally done well, despite the flaws. The musicianship
is well-showcased, and the sound production makes every element of this
instrumentalism stand out well without loss of focus. The melodic cross between
metal and hardcore, while rather pedestrian, is performed well in terms of energy,
dynamic, speed, and rather gripping hooks peppered throughout the release. On
top of all of that, the lyrics are written decently, and the positive mood
behind them is reinforced by the vigorous vocals. With all things considered,
this EP has turned out to be a solid and enjoyable debut. As stated earlier, if
you are in search of innovation within the melodic metalcore genre, you sadly
will not find much here. On the other hand, however, if you are a fan of the
said genre and are hungry for a dose of some energetic and potent metal, then
you should give this album a shot. Overall, although “Primordium” has its fair
share of issues, it’s a nice place to start for this group.
Score: 7.5/10 (Solid+)
