Carnifex - Die Without Hope (2014)

As one of the most extreme releases of 2014, today we have Carnifex and their crushing “Die Without Hope” release. Three years have passed since the band’s last effort and today we have them with their most mature and polished released to date. Evolving away from your cookie cutter Deathcore, Carnifex manages to deliver 10 brutal tracks filled with epic orchestrations, massive drumming, and crushing vocals.

Wasting no time, “Salvation is Dead” produces some demoralizing Death Metal riffs that will crush anybody’s doubts of this band. The growls/shrieks of Scott Lewis are as brutal as they come and they greatly enhance the overall violence portrayed in the band’s sound. The band’s sound is 100 times darker on songs like “Dark Days”, where they exploit perfectly constructed orchestrations and keyboards to contrast their relentless riffing. There is also a certain melodic edge to the music that we found quite refreshing.

Being a Death Metal band at heart, “Condemned to Decay” and “Hatred And Slaughter” are tracks that will appeal to fans of acts like Broken Hope, Suffocation, and Immolation with the added usage of ‘masculine’ breakdowns. The band’s evolution greatly shows why they are one of the few remaining bands of the genre and why they tear shit up with their energetic live performances.

Reminding us of more technical and melodic bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse, “Where The Light Dies” delivers one hell of a tour de force filled with killer guitars and crushing drumming. The band also mixes in some Black Metal elements here and there to keep things fresh and well balanced. As a whole, “Die Without Hope” is one of the best sounding brutal releases of 2014. If you have been debating whether to dive into Carnifex’s world, this is one release that will make you become a fan of their music.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: March 4th, 2013

Genre: Symphonic Extreme Death Metal

Country: USA