Now this band is really rolling. After the misfire of their stodgy Lifeforce debut ‘Murder Within the Means of Existence,’ Burning Skies cut the fat, and unleashed the absolute bestial Desolation, in 2006. This, their third release for Lifeforce is even better, showing growth in a number of key areas that needed to be developed so that they didn’t get caught in the mire of similar releases that have come out this year. The fundamental, and of course obvious area of improvement is their song writing. The joyful metamorphoses that initiated on Desolation, has blossomed a sticky, virile, blackened mass of venom and fury which pulses and possesses the entire duration of Greed, Filth, Abuse, Corruption.
Despite this growth of quality, Burning Skies are not as active and above all, not as appreciated in the UK as they should be. They do tour, and usually with big bands (such as Dying Fetus in the summer) but they aren’t a staple like say Bring me the Horizon or Annotations of an Autopsy who are constantly playing shows be it with international bands or off their own backs. However, the factors pertaining to this lack of abundant popularity are made clear in the albums 28 minute run time.
Whereas their aforementioned contemporaries are riding the crest of the zenith of the deathcore sound and pander with what is not only popular but demanded by listeners of the style, Burning Skies are much more measured in how much of the current elements within the sound’s paradigm are bought forth during each track. Granted, there are breakdowns, there is squealing, guttural vocals, but rather then these being pivotal, they are functional within the whole framework of a piece rather then being the pillars that found it and then hold it all together.
In fact, the Bristol quintet shows a real affinity with a much richer tapestry of extreme music. Prime examples being the opening ‘Warhate,’ which bursts forth with a scathing, blazing grind reminiscent of Napalm Death, complete with alternating pitches in vocal attack. Even more killer are the nods to peak era Dying Fetus circa 96-98 when those Baltimore behemoths were penning some of the most addictively catchy but crushingly brutal riffs ever conceived. These can be found on ‘Rounding up the Cattle,’ and the slickly titled ‘Emocalypse.’ The resonance of those riffs is just simply divine as they pulse and throb when building up and then just flat out explode when they break.
Not much more needs saying, other then to get this monstrosity now.
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I don’t really like this band their kinda meatheaded. their like the mortification of deathcore
on Sep 14th, 2008 at 15:51Great album great band. They really have their own sound in that genre.
on Sep 15th, 2008 at 08:47Ah come on swamp. First album was horrible, but they have improved bucketloads!!
on Sep 15th, 2008 at 12:59eh despite the horrid songtitles when i get the chance ill dig deeper into this record
on Sep 15th, 2008 at 13:13Go for it swamp!
on Sep 16th, 2008 at 12:22By the way, I’m listening to the new Being Killed, shit is raw.
on Sep 16th, 2008 at 12:22Being Kills represent whoop whoop
on Sep 16th, 2008 at 21:46killed
on Sep 16th, 2008 at 21:46Amazing fucking CD; every time I see a positive review for this one I smile a little. I think it’s just hard to deny true greatness when you hear it. And to think I would have never tasted this one if I hadn’t begged my way onto Lifeforce’s mailing list…though I guess after seeing these reviews I would have maybe checked it out.
on Sep 17th, 2008 at 01:00