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Bare bones Melodic Death suitable for any mood or occassion.-
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| The Soulless: Isolated |
Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore
Earache Records
May 17th, 2011
- Unaltered - 2:54
- The Path - 3:25
- Earthbound - 3:52
- 13th Morning - 1:16
- New Perspective - 3:45
- Clones - 3:36
- Revelation - 3:07
- Our Return - 2:55
- Unite Us - 3:52
- You Are Nothing to Me - 1:06
- Without Heart - 3:12
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| Review Information |
Release length: 33:01
Review posted on May 10th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 8/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Isolated (2011)
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| Review |
The Soulless isn't that new a band. The group had actually gone under the name Ignominious Incarceration for many years, forming back in 2006 under that monicker, then changing it in later 2010. The first release for the group under this new name is Isolated, which finds it's home under Earache Records. But, does this change also mean that the music has improved, or been dramatically altered?
Isolated is clearly a stronger Melodic Death Metal release from the group, and at times can be heavily technical. Both of these worlds greet you right from the start, then continue to be mixed up throughout the recording, but all roads typically lead back to a Melodic Death Metal sound. "Unaltered", for example, is an approach at more traditional Melodic Death Metal, which is catchy is not unique, ushering in what to expect from the band. "The Path", however, introduces the listener to a more technical Melodic Death Metal act, as well as shows off more of the Metalcore inspirations in the music with what sounds like a rather forced breakdown with a very short and awkward transition in. While the music these two tracks come off a little more on the stereotypical side, the music is ultimately catchy. There's no real gimmicks or anything going on with the release that would require you to devote a lot of attention or sit back to pay attention to the release. Instead, it's simpler, though some chords become technical, and overall catchier and more accessable then other releases in this field, and that's one of the more important things about this release then anything else.
The production on Isolated is alright. The music sounds heavy, and the bass really drives a sharp edge to the material. "New Perspective" really hammers away at the listener from the second it starts, mostly thanks to the bass following the guitars, but it's not as rich in the final mix to keep that heavy feeling the entire song and eventually just becomes something that's there and doesn't really do much for the recording. The drums sound great and the double bass kicks shine through, having that strong click to them, and the vocals are your traditional levels pointed at a mid-level shout that varies into higher or lower pitches. The main issue here is that the music is too clear in the production, and the lack of a rhythm guitarist doesn't help the band out with the overall quality of the recording. When a guitar solo kicks in, it winds up sounding hollow due to this, as the bass is just not loud or rich enough to carry the music.
Basically, Isolated really isn't anything new or unique. But, for as generic a combination of Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore as this release is, it isn't necessarily bad, boring, or anything along those lines. "The Path" makes for a good song that has a little extra power to it that drives the song, though the guitar solo winds up feeling hollow due to the lack of a strong enough bass to keep the flow going. "New Perspective" uses the general template of Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore nicely to become somewhat technical and sound a little darker to weave a slightly unique sound to the music. "Clones" is a far more technical track that has some chords that feel technical to the point of Progressive Metal atmospheres, and the breakdowns ultimately become pushed along by the bass which seems to be much deeper during these moments. But despite the awkward transition into the breakdown on "The Path", most of the breakdowns on the release aren't bad at all and, in fact, are the heaviest part of the recording. "Unite Us" proves that with it's crushing breakdowns that, despite their stereotypical sound, are heavy enough that they will make you want to just start dancing or moshing wherever you are, and they generally flow with the music, but come off a little more intense then the rest of the Melodic Death Metal material provided during the song.
The Soulless has it's flaws, but you really can't sit back and say the album is bad in any way. Sure, the music is Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore combined into it's simplest forms, but the band at least makes the songs sound good and still enjoyable for a casual spin. The breakdowns are surprisingly crushing and become one of the most important aspects of the album as well, which is something many bands of the Metalcore and Deathcore style seem to have forgotten over time with their lazy breakdowns with five or more seconds of dead air between a random riff or cymbol crash. If you're looking for an album just takes the bare essentials of these two styles and builds a catchy album around them free of gimmicks, laziness, and everything else that's wrong with the styles in their current state, then give Isolated a chance. Despite it's flaws, it's an album you can just randomly pick up and listen to despite what mood you happen to be in.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Earache Records.
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