Review Summary: Riff City
The Faceless, Suffocation, Black Crown Initiate, Entheos and Aegaeon are some of the bands in which these guys have played. Pretty decent pedigree, and that just slightly hints at what you’re going to get under the hood. Wes Hauch is the man behind some of the most agile, expressive and crushing guitar riffs I have had the pleasure of hearing in quite a while. They are technical and diverse, and while some remarkable solos are sprinkled here and there, this album has some jaw dropping rhythm guitar. Very rarely do I stop what I am doing and rewind something to just make sure I heard what I heard… I did that quite a few times on my first run through of Sarcoma.
This isn’t Alluvial’s first record. 2017’s The Deep Longing for Annihilation was a collaboration with noted guitarist Keith Merrow, but it seems Hauch has decided to move forward with a new lineup. Alluvial’s first record was also instrumental, but seemed to beg for a strong vocalist. Here we have one, and a helping hand from Hauch himself. No shade to anyone here, but Wes Hauch has clearly leveled up and brought us a finished product that shows purpose and refinement.
So what are you going to get when you press play? I find this is a brand of technical metal that seems to blend so many styles together in a pleasing way, it’s no surprise Nuclear Blast swooped them up. Fans of death, djent, thrash, melodic hardcore and deathcore will all enjoy this record. Sitting here trying to stick them in a box just doesn’t feel right. It’s just metal, and it’s damn good.
The onslaught begins with “Ulysses” and the right hand of Hauch is immediately put on display. The agility he possesses makes for some awesome flourishes. The song has a nice structure, ripping solo and tough as nails ending. We get more of the same with playful and extremely well executed guitar parts on “Thy Underling”, but we start hearing some more diverse vocals in the background. It’s a welcome addition. The vocals are powerful, and metal, and really play nice with the screams. The title track lets everyone show off a bit with double bass agility, awesome vocals, fierce rhythms, crushing breakdown and tasty bass bits underneath the mayhem.
After a few tracks we seem to have a grasp on what is happening and then “40 Stories” hits your headphones. Epic sung vocals immediately enter the forefront. The song is led by guitarist Wes Hauch as he displays incredible pipes, and a great hook. His voice is similar to Mastadon’s Troy Sanders’ big and burly howl. The songwriting is good and the sounds present are all cohesive, it really opens the door for possibilities. The song ends with some unnecessary studio magic, and runs into an interlude that also seems a bit unneeded, but then we are thrown directly back into the melee. Another standout to me was “Sleepers Become Giants” with its big chord voicings and sludgy gait. A head-nodder for sure.
So we can’t technically call this a debut, but it might as well be one. And as far as debuts go, it’s a banger. I have a feeling we are going to see Alluvial on some pretty cool tours soon. I mean, they are on Nuclear Blast now. I’m sure there are a ton of bands itching to get out and play for some of the most ravenous metal fans ever. I know I am extremely ready to see some shows and bang my head.
