After seeing the “5” given to Golgotha in another review and the fact that I liked some songs off of “Horror,” I was determined to buy this album. However, I did not exactly get a classic metal album or even a classic deathcore album for that matter.
First and foremost, this is predominantly a hardcore album. Besides the vocals, the instruments for the most part are very reminiscent of a hardcore band. In my opinion, the instruments (mostly the guitar) are what save this from being an average deathcore album to a garbage metal album. While they do nothing mind blowing, the guitars only "chug" during breakdowns and actually are quite refreshing for the genre they are in.
And I know the word "breakdown" may freak out some people, these breakdowns aren't exactly the typical deathcore wankery. They kind of remind me how Hatebreed does/did breakdowns; they are still breakdowns, but they are refined in a way that makes them at least listenable. Good examples of this are Mark Your Words, Take My Everything, Fearless Before Opposition, and my favorite: Bring Out Your Dead.
While not being a spectacular song, (next to the title track) Bring out Your Dead is the best one on the album in my opinion. The intro riff is nothing too special, but it definitely catches my attention. I am not usually one to use to word “brutal” because I think the little scene kids use it too often, but the breakdown in this song is indeed brutal. After the bass interlude, judgment day seems to be on the horizon. But, the song transitions back into the verse, a short build up, and then the breakdown… “BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!” I don’t know if it is because of the massive speaker sound (not a bass drop surprisingly) once it hits, the extra shredding part after each open passage, or the sheer intensity of this breakdown that keeps me continually listening to this song.
The drums are actually kind of intriguing. Like the guitars, they do not do anything groundbreaking, but they have some interesting fills every now and then that the typical deathcore drummer would not do.
Next is the bass. Well, coming from a fellow bassist (and I'm sure everyone else), I was not particularly impressed by the bass in this album. Of course the bass is thrust into the background of the mix like an unwanted child is during a family picnic. Although it is low in the mix, it is not nearly as low as typical deathcore bands like Oceano, Chelsea Grin, Demolisher, or Suicide Silence; so it is possible to distinguish it from the guitars, but it might take a pair of decent headphones or speakers. And even if you can hear it, it only mimics the guitars throughout most of the album.
Inhales are not really something people latch on to as an acceptable vocal style, but these almost complete the album to me. Not many bands can pull off inhales like these without sounding like they are gurgling in a garbage bag. They vary from lows, to highs, and to an occasional pig squeal. For the most part it is easy to understand what the vocalist is saying, but if it is not apparent to you, then simply take a look at the song titles. The songs basically cover the Paschal Mystery where Jesus is betrayed, crucified, and dies. Despite the fact that the topic limits the lyrics’ subject, they aren’t completely awful. They are average at best though.
What really kills this album is how similar the songs are arranged. There are times where I put on this CD and then suddenly realize that I went through two or three songs without even noticing. The whole album basically fits the mold of “a moderately creative riff, possible breakdown, chorus-ish part, and then a breakdown.” The guitars are interesting initially, but most of the songs melt into a couple giant montages of sounds. The other problem I have with this CD is that the breakdowns seem to interrupt certain parts of songs. This is exhibited especially during the title track where not even 20 seconds into the song a breakdown already starts, which breaks up whatever With Blood Comes Cleansing had going for them. Breakdowns should be used to enhance a song, not used to often to diminish a great song to a filler track.
I personally enjoy listening to this album and Impending Doom's Nailed. Dead. Risen. being that they almost complement each other (NDR is more death dare I say while Golgotha is more hardcore), but it is nothing to spend your last dollar on.
Overall, the album isn't the typical deathcore drab, but it is nothing that will make anyone abandon their hatred to the genre. For fans of the genre like myself, I would give it a 3.0 to a 3.5, and add that it is an extremely enjoyable release compared to the chug chug chug going on the rest of genre.
Standout tracks:
Bring out your dead
Fearless before opposition
Golgotha
**One interesting part I would like to mention is that the opening riff to Hypocrisy and the riff after the bass break in Bring Out Your Dead almost turn out to be the same riff, but it quickly changes.
