Genre: Technical Death Metal/Deathcore
Label: Density
Date of Release: March 18, 2014
WICKED DEATHCORE
New Jersey deathcore quartet Lorna Shore was established in 2010, with two EP's under their belt up to this point: "Triumph," released within the same year of formation, and "Bone Kingdom," released in 2012. After being signed to Density Records (Cult Of Luna, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life), their third EP "Maleficium" would be unleashed in 2014.
The band's musicianship in this album is downright stellar. The drums have the speed of a machine gun and the technicality of an architectural blueprint, while the guitars slams the listeners with delightfully wicked melodies and violent chugs. Both instruments pack a lot of punch without showing off or overdoing it, and they sound great. On top of that, the vocals are just as potent; the singer is clearly deep into his work, with every growl, snarl, and scream sounding incredibly demonic and energized. Overall, the instrumentation brings a lot of talent to the stage, but that's not the only thing to praise about this record.
Zakk Cervini of Machine Shop Studios (Crossfaith, Like Moths To Flames, Years Since The Storm) did the mixing for this record, which worked wonders. The vocals and instruments are given a lot of punch and ferocity while also emitting a great amount of atmosphere to make the blend all the more eerie. The end result is a sound that comes across as both bold and haunting simultaneously, enhancing the listening experience. This album has multiple strengths, and the sound production is definitely one of them.
Compared to most other modern death metal and deathcore releases, "Maleficium" has some rather unorthodox structuring. It takes the route of unpredictability, sometimes using rather sudden cuts between passages. For an example, about one-third into the opener "Godmaker," the song jerks away from its rapid-fire blasting into a much slower-paced breakdown. In theory, you would think that it would lead to a clustered disaster. Surprisingly, however, for the most part, it does really work. Aside from a couple slippery transitions, these movements are used in a way in which the songs sound coherent, but make the ride even more fun.
Speaking of which, the hooks and segments tied together into these tracks are really gripping. Giving a bit of a wink to the technical death and black metal genres, almost every slow and fast-paced moment delivers with lots of sinister energy. If you pressed me, the most memorable out of all these tracks would be "Godmaker" and "Cre(H)ate," but everything else still comes to a close second. The album does everything in its power to rip everything it touches to shreds, and for the most part, it does just that.
"Maleficium" is definitely one of the stronger deathcore albums to come out recently. It's actually a bit of a unique blend, with its structures and hooks on top of its great musicianship and production. Not all of the music grabs you, but a strong majority of it does, and it demonstrates a powerful blend of heaviness and complexity. It's a delightfully twisted and brutal release, and those looking for a band that shatters the generic deathcore mold will likely see their search come to a screeching halt.
Score: 9/10 (Excellent)
