Hellbore – Panopticon
Release Date: 18th March 2022
Label: Self-Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Tech Death, Prog Death, Thrash Metal with elements of Death Metal/Deathcore.
FFO: Lamb Of God, Job For A Cowboy, Trivium (early), Archspire (instrumentally).
Review By: Mike Leighton
Death Metal act Hellbore returns with their second album, Panopticon, slated for release 18th March, 2022. This time around the group gets a bit more experimental in their approach, incorporating thrash, progressive as well as deathcore elements to their music. Hellbore is Charlie Munro, from the United Kingdom as well as Chris Whitby, from New York. Charlie lends his talents on both production and mixing, as well as on all guitars and bass composition. Chris is responsible for the numerous vocal offerings you will hear on Panopticon. Not only is this a more experimental album than their first release with its progressive death metal and technical elements, but also due to its addition of various, and sometimes unexpected instruments ranging from horns, flutes, and even moments that reflect more of a jazz composition.
The start of the album pulls the listener in slowly with a soft, lulling ambiance before introducing an ominous piano accompanied by a choir, and the sound of marching drums. The music, and listener are then abruptly spun in a complete one-eighty with the introduction of heart pounding guitars, full drum rolls, and some double bass that would get any heavy metal fan excited.
Following the quite tasteful introduction track, Hellbore brings in some deep gutturals followed by piercing highs. Although every part of the song sounds good on their own, after layering and volume the vocals are difficult to hear at times, especially the higher notes. When the vocals are more audible, they are very reminiscent of Randy Blythe’s, from Lamb of God, vocals. Later in the second track, we get a beautiful guitar solo, and our first taste of the more technical aspect of Charlie Munro’s instrumental prowess; sometimes giving a kind of old school vibe. Closer to the end of “All Men Are Created Evil” the listener is presented with vocals in the more of a spoken word format behind some very elegant sweeping, melodic piano, but again the vocals are harder to hear when it comes to volume/layering of the various elements going on.
Angel Slayer starts off with a monotonous, pounding guitar riff that almost gives the feeling of drones slaving away with no end in sight to their endless, blind servitude. More on this concept to come in later tracks, especially Necrocracy. The vocals in this track, specifically the higher screams, sound a bit more nasally, almost as if the lead vocalist is having a hard time executing them at times.
Track 4, aptly named Terror Eyes, begins with a fantastic scream and some quick, heart pulsing drums. The speed of this track just makes it feel that much more grand; much more immense. At around one minute twenty seconds, Charlie Munro caught me off guard when he brings in a beautiful, refreshing and fluid guitar riff that is almost hypnotizing at moments. Immediately after, bam, the track is right back in your face! Personally, this was one of the more standouts tracks on Panopticon: an audible onslaught that does not give up until the very last moment. Later, around three minutes and fifty seconds, the track showcases some very nice drum fills accompanied not only by a very consistent and crunchy guitar riff but also some deep, almost evil sounding gutturals by Chris Whitby. As abruptly as this section began, it ends, sending the listener in to soft ambient sounds that lead immediately into the next track.
Necrocracy begins. This track, also the lead single off Panopticon, is a hard hitting, and lyrically entangled track! Subservience is a central concept on this track, as well as the album as a whole. Lyrically, Necrocracy, gives off very strong Fit For An Autopsy vibes with its lyrics surrounding the concept of the apparent corruption in society as well as how there are undoubtedly a plethora of us droning about, unknowingly yet intentionally ignorant when it comes to the grander scheme of machinations of the world.
This track is littered with some very powerful lyrics, with the first of note in the second verse:
“Reveal a truth that is too much to bear
They worship a god who does not care
You’d devour your own if the book so demanded
Disembowel your kin if I only commanded”
The meaning of this excerpt could be spun in a few different ways. In the first, it could refer to how people follow their belief in government as if it is the word of god, or secondly just that, human belief in a higher power (i.e., god) as well as the scripture they follow (i.e., the Bible) is absolute and must be followed, never to change. Whomever they worship be it god or powerful men, that do not care but only want, and what they want is your undying subservience without asking questions. It begs the question, is this how it should truly be?
Necrocracy, or dead government, it’s all the same.
Musically, there was a very tasteful bass riff around one minute and twenty-five seconds followed by a very headbang worthy guitar section. Some filthy and demonic vocals come in next, accompanied by a very jazzy section.
Again, the lyrics that close out this memorable track, paint nothing but strong visuals of the current state of things. Whether the lyrics be straightforward or in need of interpretation, this ending verse as I would call it needs no interpretation.
“No king is eternal,
And no god is beyond reproach
An ethereal parasite
Condemns you to die.”
No king lasts forever, therefore no god is beyond disappointment. The ones we as humans look up to may seem too perfect and good, yet we blindly follow; “an ethereal parasite.”
Panopticon (3 parts):
Part I: starts with an awesome, airy flute, then the pounding of marching drums, and wistful string arrangement, but without placing why, in the back of the mind it sounds a bit ominous. Directly following is an assault of drums along with a speedy bass line with an almost whisper of low growls. The instrumental composition and execution is just fantastic in this track. Overall, while not entirely, this feels more of an instrumental track than anything, capable of telling a story in and of itself. The vocals seem to take this already grand song and elevate it a bit more. Five minutes in, the listener is presented with a very nice drum solo around followed by a technically savvy yet flawless guitar solo. This part of the song really brings every instrument into the light, giving it, its time to shine. The track ends with a mix of harsh vocals and an almost choir-like medley.
Part II: begins, before you even know Part I is finished, with a haunting ambience that gives the listener a sense of unease. Again, much like Panopticon II is heavily instrumental and there are no complaints here. The instruments have done nothing but shine on these last tracks, not only that, but they help these tracks rise above those on the rest of the album.
Part III: immediately following the end of Part II, we, the listeners, are presented with a very cool, old-school metal/rock sounding guitar solo, further showcasing the technical prowess of Charlie Munro. The clean guitar notes presented are absolutely refreshing. Overall, this is an awesome third part to the saga of tracks. The instrumentals in Panopticon I, II, and III take the listener on an epic journey as Hellbore’s second album comes to a close. I can see why these songs were broken up because they almost tell a smaller story within the whole. But what Panopticon I, II, and III really do as a whole is keep the listener intrigued and along for the ride; hopeful that it will just keep going. I really appreciated the composition of all three of these tracks, as they were the highlight of the entire album for me, personally.
Panopticon as a whole had just the right amount of a deathcore punch mixed with the technical elements of death to keep it interesting and honestly quite enjoyable to listen to.
(3.5 / 5)
