Single Review by Vince Leigh
CT&TDM dish out another unyielding serve of speed death metal that follows the equally unrelenting stand-alone track, Beerpocalypse.
There are similarities between the two tracks, as one would expect. Yet, State of the World reveals a few intriguing musical possibilities for the outfit that might open up its typical aural assault approach.
We are still treated to the technical assiduity, whether that’s the guitars, drums, or overall focus, but there are other textures and additions present that shift the style—or rather expand it—albeit in an incremental way.
We are first met by a gunfire drum fill that explodes into the as-expected fast riff land. We are quickly submerged into the verses and the grit of the death metal grunt. This continues until a build that incorporates variations of that vocal growl until we arrive at what can only be determined as a chorus.
We can perhaps ascertain it is, in fact, a chorus by the chantlike melodic lines that hover above that growl as it directs us to the end proclamation of the ‘state of the world’. This melodic anomaly, although it only sounds like one when pitted against the dungeon wall of sound that comprises the instrumentation, is present for the remaining chorus sections.
It acts as transformative climax that not only appeases the listener’s ears (while being shaken by the track’s tumult) but adds a reverberative layer above the controlled chaos.
It’s our signpost for the track, a very satisfying one, as it deviates and swerves around us, with its myriad of accents and pauses and maniacal thrusts. The band were perhaps conscious of the effect this particular element might have, even going further than merely ending the track on its subtle power but incorporating a key change to intensify both its dynamic and importance.
That being said, State of the World does not let up. It’s fire and brimstone and, therefore, another fine musical display of joyful metal proficiency.
You can hear this track on Bandcamp, Spotify or Apple Music
