AxeWound - Vultures
Rating
RIYL
AtreyuCancer Bats
Bullet for My Valentine
Pantera
Release Date
10/01/2012
Label
Search and DestroyTracklist
1. Vultures2. Post Apocalyptic Party
3. Victim of the System
4. Cold
5. Burn Alive
6. Exochrist
7. Collide
8. Destroy
9. Blood Money and Lies
10. Church of Nothing
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There is something curious about the new metal “Super Group,” AxeWound: the press can’t decide whose band this is. Canadian and American press outlets have stated that the band is lead by Cancer Bats’s vocalist Liam Cormier, while European outlets claim the band is all Matt Tuck’s (of Bullet for My Valentine fame). Interestingly enough, it seems the band can’t quite decide either.
Liam takes charge from the beginning, as his signature scream dominates the proceedings. Matt Tuck is left to happily chug away with riffs that would be afraid to see the light of day with his day-job band. The name of the game is riff-heavy (and I mean RIFFS), thrash-influenced metalcore. If you have fond recollections of early metalcore, then this will be a treat to your ears. The star of the show, despite this being the Matt and Liam show, is drummer Jason Bowld of Pitchshifter. His fills and frantic drum work is absolutely stellar and is not usually expected with metalcore.
However, a few tracks in, an interesting thing happens. Matt Tuck’s vocals start creeping into the mix. This is not a bad thing by any stretch, as his melodies are well done and offer a respite from Liam’s bark; however, something happens to the band’s sound. From then on out, the band draws an eerie comparison to early-era Atreyu. The guitar-work sounds similar; the rumbling drum work is comparable, and even Liam’s voice takes on a slight similarity to Alex Varkatzas. Basically, AxeWound begins to come close to what Atreyu could have sounded like if the band embraced the metal side of The Curse instead of spiraling out of control toward mediocrity. Take a listen to “Burn Alive” and tell me that song is not a lost B-side from The Curse. Surely, the instruments are done a little better than the comparison would warrant, but the similarity is there.
Despite the similarity, this is clearly a band that is out to have fun more than anything and that shows through in the music. Vultures definitely hearkens back to the heyday of metalcore, when bands knew how to write quality songs without ten breakdowns per track. If you like fast riffs, guitar solos, and angry lyrics, all done in an old-school metalcore fashion, then welcome to your new guilty pleasure.
--Nick Senior
Comments
Minnesota
This album is extremely solid. I dig it a ton.
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Columbus, OH
Yeah I LOVED The Curse, so seeing that style brought back was great. I had such low expectations on this album for some reason, but it's great.
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HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
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Reno, NV
Dig it. Just the right proportion of Cancer Bats and BFMV.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
I need to get ahold of this album, that video was pretty great, I loved Bullet for My Valentines EP or first release... cant remember which, but once they hit mainstream it all felt cliche, this however, is goof stuff.
I too would have to say Liam is the one who can be attributed for taking this to the next level.
West Haven, CT
I don't know...
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