This is a great metalcore album. More than that, it’s just a great album regardless of genre. I hadn’t listened to Death Ray Vision’s last one, but enjoyed the first mainly because I’ll listen to pretty much anything in which these metalcore masters are involved. Add Brian Fair of Shadows Fall and you have me.

However… Brian Fair was not on the second album or the new one. That was disappointing at first until I gave it a chance anyway. If you’re wondering how new current Keith Bennett, um, fairs… He kills it. It’s apparent at the beginning with the hooky first single “Behead the King.” Keith has more of a hardcore shout, but a tuneful one and it carries the track, which is taking nothing away from the melodic metalcore riffing and tapping leads.

“From the Rafters,” which is another single released from the album, has perhaps a better impact. It’s more of a straight-up hardcore song with appropriately political lyrics. This would be as good a time as any to mention if you don’t enjoy that in your music, it’s probably best to bow out now. The chorus has the characteristic gang-shouted vocals, which are done quite well.

We have metalcore, and hardcore, and up next is thrash, not too far down the tracklist. “Broken Hands of God” firmly lies in that crossover thrash sub-genre with some clean (ish) chorus vocals. It’s a short burst, which is the case with most tracks here. The galloping thrash riffing is throughout, but there’s no solo, despite the feeling it was coming. That’s one of the few bummers.

There’s one to start “O Great Destroyer,” so hopefully it finds you well. However, it’s another hardcore song until it also turns into a crossover track, including a nifty breakdown, however brief, about a minute-and-a-half in. There’s also a quick solo at the very end.

Perhaps the heaviest and grooviest track is near the end, “Crawl Forth the Cowards.” It’s also essentially the title track, being it is in the chorus lyrics. It’s also the catchiest song, so I can see why it’s the album title. It could also easily be the closer, with the solo and the chorus again to end the track.

However, as you might have guessed, that’s not the end, but this is where I’m ending the review, so stick your predictability up your… urethra! As you can probably tell, considering I spoiled my verdict in the first paragraph, this is a scorcher. From front to back, no filler. 12 songs in 36 minutes is nearly perfect. Any longer might be exhausting and any shorter might not seem like enough. If you’re into the three scenes of hardcore, metalcore, or crossover, you’re going to dig this. Even if you’re only into one of them, this is the band’s finest hour so far, and it’s well worth your attention, despite it potentially leaning more to the mainstream side of things.

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