Cannibal

The sixth long-player from the British melodic metalcore outfit, Cannibal sees Bury Tomorrow working with Dan Weller (SiKth, Babymetal), who also produced 2018s Black Flame, to deliver an uncompromisingly heavy set that tosses melody and might into a blender and spams the pulse button. While hardly an updated recipe -- strident, gravel-gargling verses that yield soaring clean choruses -- its a dish that the band have perfected over the years, and Cannibal is the finest representation of that sound to date. Commencing with the aptly named Choke, which arrives via a dark yet dulcet swirl of six-string finger-tapping before descending into a maelstrom of breakdowns and chugging riffage, the 11-track set augments its formulaic architecture with raw, unfiltered emotion -- themes of suffering through and overcoming mental illness loom large. The seamless interplay between Jason Camerons lofty cleans and Daniel Winter-Bates Vesuvian death rattles remains one the bands greatest assets -- that Bates is one of only a few metalcore screamers with a discernable style also helps -- and their ability to stay on top of the perpetually cresting wave of sonic brutality that undulates below them is notable. Songs like The Grey (VIXI), the blazing God & Machines, and the relentless title track feel tailor-made for a live setting, with each stabbing riff, atmospheric synth break, and pit-inducing chorus aimed at the rafters. Even the slow-burn Quake, which sets up as a power ballad and then earns its moniker through sheer decibels, favors emotional vitality over studio chicanery, and its that core aesthetic, along with some truly impressive playing, that makes Cannibal such a violent delight. ~ James Christopher Monger

前作が全英21位という最高位を記録したUKメタルコア5人組の6作目。デス/クリーンのツイン・ヴォーカルを武器に、強靭なヘヴィネスと豊潤なエモーショナルの両側面を存分に発揮。さらに起伏激しいドラマ性に長けた曲調はキャッチーな魅力を高めている。ダニエル(ヴォーカル)のメンタル・ヘルスの問題に真正面から取り組んだシリアスな作風だけあり、一曲一曲の濃さと重さは尋常じゃないレベルだ。
bounce (C)荒金良介