Within Destruction – Lotus
Release Date: 30th September 2022
Label: Ultra Heavy Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Deathcore, Nu-Metal with Metalcore elements.
FFO: Brand of Sacrifice, Vulvodynia, Slaughter To Prevail, The Dialectic.
Review By: Mike Leighton
Slovenian deathcore trio, Within Destruction, are gearing up to release their new full-length album, Lotus, on September 30, 2022. Lotus, is not only the fourth release from Within Destruction, but also their most unique, and different effort so far compared to their past releases. Straying away from a strictly deathcore sound and branching out into more of an experimental deathcore arena.
The band has released 5 different singles so far, and when I say different, I mean Within Destruction has presented a wide variety of sounds on these songs. Ranging from catchy hooks and techno beats to brutal breakdowns, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. Releasing under Ultra Heavy Records, Within Destruction is comprised of Rok Rupnik on vocals, Howard Fang on guitars, and Luka Vezzosi on drums.
Toxic, was the most recent single released, and quite the heavy hitter. It showcased most of what the band has to offer going forward with the rest of the album. Strong instrumentals, crisp and heavy vocals, melodic cleans; everything a fan of metalcore wants, but lacking most of the deathcore aspect. As a fan of metalcore, I really enjoyed Toxic, as it felt like a mix of old Asking Alexandria and InVisions (both are fantastic bands). Other than that, the track was fairly standard as far as song structure goes.
Dying World was another single released prior to the full-length, and was the most melodic and most ballad-esque of the singles. Not a bad thing because personally I believe a strong melody is always a good thing. The gutturals sound very similar to Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail, and there is some strong guitar work on this track! The addition of Lil Lotus confused me at first, but after listening a few times I found that I quite enjoyed it. The only thing I can equate this to is combining modern deathcore elements with modern pop vocals like Justin Bieber or Kid Laroi (or more aptly Lil Lotus).
Neo-Yakuza had more of a trap thing going on in the beginning before entering with a more industrial metal influenced sound; like the song Bonebreaker by Slaughter to Prevail with the vocals kind of being all over the place in terms of the delivery. Besides that, the song ends on a very heavy note, but overall, the track is nothing too crazy, especially if you were hoping for the sound of old Within Destruction.
Revenge sounds like most of the rest of the songs on the album, unfortunately. Coming from a more deathcore background, this album can be seen as more of a lateral move instead of a move in the right direction. For fans of the heavier sound, you might be disappointed, but for fans that are excited for a change, then you will probably enjoy this album! I noted a lot of similarities between this album and Slaughter to Prevail, and that’s because they had similar changes in sound from strictly deathcore to more of an experimental deathcore sound.
Nightmare, as compared to some of the other tracks, felt very much in tune with the band’s deathcore roots! Heavy vocals, groovy guitars, and a solid chorus that’s bound to get the crowd going at live shows! Survival was like Nightmare, but instead of the chorus they included this cool, kind of tonal screaming portion alongside some cool symphonic elements, and to top it all off a sound clip from a fan favourite anime, Dragon Ball Z! Survival was my favourite track on this record. Illusions, while on the more mellow/melodic side of things, was extremely catchy, and I will be adding it to my gym playlist!
Not to say that this album is bad at all, but for me, I enjoyed the older material quite a bit more as this seemed a bit lacklustre, or repetitive at times. So, give it a listen and judge for yourself! Another thought, Lotus could be a more transitional album where Within Destruction are trying new things as they move forward, which, if that is the case, more power to them!
Still a wholly solid album!
(3.5 / 5)
