In order to find out if this debut record from UK’s Viatrophy might raise some interest in you I only need to ask three simple questions.Is ‘Nocturnal’ by The Black Dahlia Murder one of the most valuable records you possess?
Do you fancy the whole atmosphere created by synthesizers on groups like Winds of Plague, Born of Osiris and Bleeding Through?
Do you religiously believe that chugging breakdowns is the greatest aspect of extreme-metal music?
If you answered affirmatively to all previous questions then I guarantee you that you’re going to dig Viatrphy’s deathcore sound. All the right ingredients are there to please all deathcore aficionados, the low-end chugging riffs, the moshing breakdowns, the guttural vocalizations and the epic keyboard sections. The constant switching between guttural and screeching vocals from Adam Mayes will undoubtedly put Viathrophy in the same league as The Black Dahlia Murder, but I guess that on the overall the Brits have greater predilection for melody as revealed on interludes like ‘Aurora’, and themes like ‘Furious Prayers’ and ‘Mistress of Misery’.
Well, as for everyone else there’s just something missing that stops this album from being little more than average. Few riffs stick and even less melodies linger, so unless you’re a sucker for this overcrowded style of music, ‘Viatrophy’ will probably be overlooked and lost amid a endless pile of similar releases. (5/10)
David Alexandre
Band info: http://www.myspace.com/viatrophy
Label info: www.siegeofamida.net
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