Review Summary: Another song that proves the fact that metalcore genre is alive and booming!
What is the biggest thing you can imagine being buried? Today we are going to scale up the funeral, we are going really big.
Bury The Kingdom - is a US-based quintet, exploring the landscape of oldschool-newschool metalcore, going back to the golden era of the early 2000s - and it sounds exactly how you expect from hearing that moniker.
For now the band is equipped with just two tracks, but those allow them to position the band in the top echelon of the genre, among such masters as Parkway Drive (which is the closest reference band both musically and by mood), As I Lay Dying, All That Remains и He Is Legend.
One thing drew my attention before I even put on the music: the band members don’t reveal their identities in order not to distract the listener from their music, that puts on an extra mystical layer of perception.
But what about the material? Musically it’s some straightforward mid tempo metalcore with catchy melodies, abundance of clean singing and groovy breaks, and both numbers utilise the familiar model of verse/chorus.
Self-titled track is more energetic and metal, galloping and plain aggressive. It kicks off with some atmospheric ambiance, followed with intense and epic guitar shred - and I must note how good the production quality is. Notable is the inclusion of keyboards that become a great addition and add up to the mix perfectly. Vocals are fried and frantic screaming (which is for the most part of the song are double-tracked with its lower and guttural version).
And Unveiling welcomes the listeners with more groove and alternative metal feel, with a little touch of Phil Anselmo's babbling and tough guy talking besides the familiar vocal duo. The whole track emits thick southern discomfort and everything that's musically related to it. Towards the end of the song, the mood thickens, culminating in ecstatic repetition of the refrain “how many times have you lied to me/betrayed me" - very reminiscent of Korn's first album, no kidding.
Bury The Kingdom made their appearance on the scene with an impressive statement and a clearly primed to become big - it looks like 2022 will bring us back the very metalcore that we missed so much.
