I really really like this album. I come back to it every month or so, and it kills me that Sold Soul disbanded after releasing it. This humble yet elevated brand of deathcore is needed more than ever right now.
This album captures the essence of the occult. Bands typically try so hard to sound “dark” and “evil,” but they normally come off as cliché tryhards. This album lives up to its art – conveying the dread of a Victorian era village being descended upon by demons.
The subtle symphonic sections are stellar – they infuse a sense of journey into many of the songs. “Summit of Dragons” has galactic conquest vibes, clearly the result of featuring Chris Wiseman from Shadow of Intent. “Valley of Lycans” also builds to an epic middle section with support from some pretty unconventional singing passages.
The vocalist also deserves a lot of credit. His mid range screams have a lot of power and his inflection adds some nice flare. They remind me a bit of Shrine of Malice, and I appreciate the annunciation and clarity, especially from a deathcore band. His flow and rapid fire antics are also kind of similar to early Whitechapel.
While this album has tons of solid, unapologetic deathcore, there is also a lot of variety. “Sea of Ghosts” and “Things Betwixt” have some interesting singing sections that add to the witchy atmosphere and “Cathedral of Dracul” even features a fast rap section that fits pretty well.
There are plenty of heavy moments too. “Hunt Above, Dwell Below” and “For Whom The Banshee Cries” have some garbage-disposal vocals reminiscent of Worm Shepherd.
Rest easy Sold Soul. I’ll always regret not being able to buy a shirt with this album art on it. Apparently the vocalist created almost all of the music and is going to revive the band’s sound under the name Gnarled Horns (which is a previous Sold Soul song title).
Sold Soul // I Hope We Make It Out Of This Alive
Categories: Reviews
