Label: self-released
Release date: April 30, 2021
Production: Dethrone the Corrupted, Matic Mlakar
Length: 20:28
Modern metal subgenres get overlooked fast in Slovenia, especially whatever has been relevant on the international scene over the past 10 years, let alone a band taking on anything with a –core ending. Still, there are exceptions that prove the Slovenian scene didn’t get stuck in the nineties after all. There’s no need to dwell on slam champions Within Destruction here. It’s enough that the band pulled off something that runs straight against old school ideology.
Dethrone The Corrupted don’t follow the Within Destruction template, though. You might catch the odd similarity here and there, but they don’t really belong in the same bucket. Even before their debut, the band was saying it took its cues more from American melodic death metal and deathcore. Of course, they kept refining their recipe the whole time and took it to a peak, up to a point, with the debut Sintrophia. That album got relatively good reactions, but DTC kept pushing forward and started trying new things, making it clear that deathcore itself has considerable range. So it’s not just fast death metal riffs ending in a drawn-out breakdown. Luckily, the clichés can be dodged to a degree, which the band has proven more than once.
With The Amygdaloid Decay, DTC shifted up a gear. Opener Art & Severance gives off a pompous vibe with its symphonic intro. Fleshgod Apocalypse comes to mind, but stylistically even more so the symphonic deathcore outfit Shadow of Intent. Above all, credit goes to the intensity, which just doesn’t let up. You can definitely feel progress since the debut. But it’s hard to draw conclusions from a single track.
With Of Man & The Amygdaloid Reaper, the band takes a slightly more melodic approach. The brutality gets a counterweight that peaks with guest female vocals from Tina Ritlop. Definitely an interesting move that adds a lot to the track’s dynamics, even if it may strike some listeners as cheesy and unnecessary. With the third track, Amidst A Thriving System, DTC confirm their intensity and consistency. The speed and melody bring The Black Dahlia Murder and Allegaeon to mind. You can clearly hear that the band didn’t draw its inspiration from just one group, which in turn gives things a certain unpredictability.
DTC don’t ease off even with the last track, And A Darkened Rebirth. The breakdown comes through a bit more here, nicely woven in, and the track’s central thread never gets lost. Above all, like all the others, the track is cleverly structured. Special mention goes to the symphonic section, which works like a suspense build before the band closes things out in its signature style with a heavy breakdown.
The Amygdaloid Decay as a whole sounds fresh and modern. It doesn’t feel like the band got stuck somewhere 20 years ago. The performance itself is convincing too. The vocals deliver a distinctive mix of growls and screams. No letting up on the guitars or the rhythm section. It all sounds polished and confident.
In just over twenty minutes, Dethrone The Corrupted deliver a very intense piece of work that’s technically accomplished and in step with modern sensibilities. The EP never gets boring; you can feel the band exploring and not wanting to repeat itself. With that approach, you’d expect them to keep going, because the progress is obvious, and so is the drive to create.
8.5/10
Tracklist:
1. Art & Severance
2. Of Man & The Amygdaloid Reaper
3. Amidst A Thriving System
4. And A Darkened Rebirth
Lineup:
Žiga Pristovnik – drums
Mihael Jelenko – bass
Jan Lovrenčič – guitar
Sandi Šumandl – vocals
