Possibly one of the most extreme acts on the Victory Records roster, California's Carnifex have been slowly making a name for themselves on the deathcore scene the last few years, and their latest release Until I Feel Nothing should continue to impress those fans that have been following them. Not that this latest CD is anything unique mind you, but if you crave brutal deathcore with all the trimming, this one should suit you just fine.
Bellowing growls, insane shrieking, blistering riffs, jackhammer drum blasts, crushing breakdowns, and the occasional keyboard tapestry make up the musical template here, so really nothing new coming to the table, but it's all delivered solidly as always from this band. Tracks such as "Creation Defaced" and "Dead But Dreaming" have some melodic bits hidden within all the churning brutality, and the musicianship is rock solid as ever. The vocals of Scott Lewis will either be a make or break for some, as he's over the top and in your face at every level with his growls, screams, shrieks, and bellows. "Dehumanize" is as crushing as deathcore gets, just a brutal track that combines influences from Black Dahlia Murder, Job For a Cowboy, and Annotations for an Autopsy for a relentless assault. That statement though actually presents part of the problem for Carnifex, and countless other deathcore acts for that matter. Nothing here is remotely unique or overly memorable after numerous spins, and you just get that feeling that you've heard this all before, and better. That's not to say that if you are in the mood for some punishing metal that you can't have a good time with Until I Feel Nothing. This is certainly well played and precise extreme music, with tight musicianship and solid production. It's just at this stage of the game Carnifex haven't done anything to really separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
If you love anything that falls within the deathcore camp, you'll need to have this, but otherwise keep on walking.
Track Listing
01. Deathwish
02. We Spoke of Lies
03. A Grave to Blame
04. Dead But Dreaming
05. Creation Defaced
06. Dehumanize
07. Until I Feel Nothing
08. Never Forgive Me
09. Wretched Entropy
10. Curse My Name
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