Bodysnatcher – Vile Conduct (EP)
Release Date: 3rd September 2024
Label: MNRK Heavy
Bandcamp
Genre: Deathcore
FFO: Lorna Shore, Enterprise Earth, Brand of Sacrifice.
Review By: Trina Julian Edwards
Going back to work the day after a holiday is tough, but cheer up, U.S. and Canadian friends, because Tuesday, September 3rd, Florida deathcore favorites Bodysnatcher release their highly-anticipated new EP, Vile Conduct, via MNRK Heavy.
Fans have been clamoring for new music since 2022’s Bleed-Abide, and our patience has been rewarded. Vile Conduct continues this decade-long legacy of brutality with plenty of punishing rhythms, devastating breakdowns, ruthless riffs, and authentic themes. The EP features Kyle Medina on vocals, Kyle Carter on guitar, Kyle Shope on bass, and Chris Whited on drums. The production is top-notch, which is no surprise with Will Putney (Fit for An Autopsy) at the helm. Has this substantially changed the band’s sound, though? Let’s find out.
Infested sets up the pissed-off mood right from the start, with a spoken line that says, “What if my problem is not that I don’t understand people, but that I don’t like them?” I’m sure many of us know that feeling at times. The dissonance in the guitars in the intro is slightly unsettling, and the much quicker pace of the drums in the background builds inexorably toward the weightiness of the first verse. According to Carter in the music video notes, this track is about falling back into depression over and over again, and the constant fight to heal and make it to the other side. And that’s exactly what this track feels like—a continual sort of struggle to make it to the other side. The pace rapidly picks up around the 53-second mark, dragging everything along in its wake. When Medina growls, “We all sink to the bottom of the lake,” at around 1:29, the bottom indeed drops out, pitching you headlong into the black. The dynamics in this track are very purposeful, picking up speed and alternatively shedding speed at exactly the right times to create the most impact. The breakdown elements in this track aren’t just for the sake of having a breakdown. You can certainly feel Putney’s influence here. We also get a taste of the band’s downtempo roots, and holy smoke is this thing heavy. It’s dramatic and downright demonic. Not to mention, Medina is one of the best deathcore vocalists in the business, and he’s in rare form here. The vocals are appalling in the best way. This track is absolutely a highlight of this EP, and it’s a harbinger of the crushing brutality they have in store for us.
Severed is a vicious diatribe perfectly complemented by the furious rhythms that drive it. The lyrics are savage and Medina isn’t holding back. According to the notes on the band’s music video, Medina explains this track is about “coming to terms with the sour feelings of resentment, hatred, anger or betrayal, and completely and utterly letting go. Becoming fed up and accepting of these feelings is when you can finally let go and no longer even care for their existence, which is the best revenge.” We’ve got plenty of low-end ballast during the weighty, ponderous sections, but when they pick up the pace, Carter gets a little technical with these swiftly moving leads, and I’m all for it. And for those The Last of Us fans among us, you’ll enjoy that Clicker call-out before that breakdown around 1:53. As I mentioned, the lyrics are crushing, and the lines,
“Your flesh and blood turning on you
Compassion is a slow and painful decay
No longer my burden to bear…”
is a hell of a way to end, accompanied by a cacophony that abruptly cuts off.
Up next is Human Disdain, which is an absolutely hellacious monster and might possibly be my favorite. The theme of the track is our “inner demons as a collective species,” explains Kyle Carter in the music video notes. He goes on to talk about how complex emotions bring about terrible thoughts and feelings that many act upon, making the world a worse place. Lines such as,
“Clenching my jaw
I’m desperate for relief
Pressing so hard
I’m breaking my teeth
Society decays every fucking day
We suffer to survive…”
are something most people can relate to at some point in their lives. The riffs are massive, and the rhythm is relentless, but it’s also got some serious groove. Once again, the dynamics are impeccable, dropping that tempo to punctuate the lyrics of the chorus, before throwing us back into that implacable groove.
Confession is, fittingly, a sort of confession. In this 36-second interlude, a man, whose identity is obviously unknown, is informing on the sale and distribution of schedule I and II narcotics, especially Fentanyl, coming out of Naples, Florida. This is actually the intro to the next track, Murder8, which is the street name for Fentanyl.
Murder8 is a weighty song from start to finish, both musically and lyrically. The monstrous riffs, unstoppable rhythms, and chilling lyrical content make it very compelling. The song speaks to the insidiousness of Fentanyl addiction and the destruction it brings to the victims and their families. It features metalcore icon, Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, adding his inimitable flair, which layers beautifully with Medina’s furious growls. The breakdown following, “Why can’t I breathe…???” hits like a ton of bricks. The lyrics, written by Chris Whited, are heartbreaking. When Whited screams, “Fentanyl made me an only child,” it’s like a punch in the gut. In the notes for the music video, Whited writes that he lost an older brother to Fentanyl in 2022, followed by a younger sister in 2023, so this is deeply personal. The final line of the track is a powerful statement, and when Medina grates out, “What can you do when there’s nothing left, and the only thing that’s certain in life is death…,” you can hear the bitterness and grief behind the words.
Say Goodbye is an excellent closer with a slightly different vibe, but taking the EP as a whole, this is an appropriate last chapter. This has a slower-paced, doom-laden intro before kicking it up a notch to a more mid-tempo verse. But it doesn’t stop there—the track builds in speed and intensity, and the helplessness is palpable in the lyrics, “…no turning back the time, it’s out of my control…” Despite a change in tempo, the intensity continues to ratchet up until the track reaches a crucial part in the narrative, and they stand on the brakes to highlight the story. In keeping with the rest of the album, the lyrical themes are gripping, and it feels like the words “you told me you had to die” and “you were preparing your sons to say goodbye” were ripping out Medina’s guts, and no wonder. This story will grip your heart, never mind the kick in the head that follows with the absolutely concussive breakdown.
Overall, I have to say, I loved it. I know some people in the scene have been saying deathcore is getting stale, it all sounds the same, etc. etc., but there will always be a place for well-written, well-executed deathcore that does its own thing and doesn’t rely on gimmicks. Bodysnatcher is the real deal. While there aren’t any earth-shattering changes on Vile Conduct, it feels like the next step in the band’s evolution. Their sound seems a bit more refined and cohesive, likely due to having the benefit of Putney’s perspective. The band is tighter, and both the drums and guitars feel a little more technical, with more fills and more marked movement than we’ve seen previously. They haven’t forgotten their hardcore or downtempo roots, but they’ve incorporated those elements into the overall dynamic. So while the tempo may still drop significantly at times, it doesn’t drag. We still have plenty of breakdowns, maybe a few too many for me, but I can forgive them for that, because they’re nasty as all hell, and they work well in the context of these compositions. The lyrical content is not just incredibly personal, but the stories are riveting. There’s an overwhelming sense of loss throughout these tracks, but somehow the final result is not depressing. It’s actually cathartic in a way I think metal fans in particular understand. With Vile Conduct, Bodysnatcher has delivered a straightforward punch in the face, and that’s exactly what you want sometimes.
(4.5 / 5)
