ten56.- "Downer"

 Here is a band whose debut album points out the fact that metal core has always been the evolution of nu-metal. It is different from metallic hard-core. Down tuned riffs chug through odd timed grooves. The vocals are growled in a more syncopated  fashion than what you find in death metal. Sometimes these are more rapped. This album was previously released as two eps, but we are just going ahead and counting this as a new album. saw videos the first time I have heard most of these songs. I saw videos for a couple when I was checking to see where nu-metal was going and this band's man came up. The main problem I hear these guys facing is by the third song, what they do is all beginning to sound the same to me. There is marginally more Slipknot like thrashing on "Shitspitter" but not enough to convince me they are not a one trick pony. 

"Sick Dog" finds them slowing down and rapping more. By rapping , this kind of delivery is more in line with what Ghostemane does. In other words  like a juggaloo that got hooked on opiates. "Boy "is when I hit the wall and could not tell what song was which until it hit the creepy whispered breakdown. I appreciate that this song seems to be about a serial killer. Many of their riffs sound like you are caught in a perpetual break down. "Kimo" has a darker electronic pulse before slamming into the heavy crunch of the half time riff. "Yenta" is more Slipknot like in it's attack, though with less extra banging and clanging. It is heavy, but not as hooky in it's intentions when it comes to the grooves. It sounds like distorted walls of noise beating your ears. Some might be impressed with how heavy it is. Heavy is a dime a dozen, give me a song worth listening to. 

They deliver a pretty well written song with "Traumadoll". There is more of a Korn feel to it. "RLS" has actual singing to it, in order to capture the sound of TIK TOK era pop music, that has the darker vibe of their sound haunting it, which is an effective combination. They are back to their normal groove after this, which works better as the dynamic range of the album expands. Sure it is on the more Slipknot side of the equation, but it works. "Ender' finds them back to just beating your ears with the riffs. There is a rapped break down section but it is nothing that inspires me to return to it for another listen. "Choky" closes the album with a much more compelling groove. Though they get a little spastic in places, rather than writing a hook, which they have already proven themselves capable of doing. I will give this album an 8.5, as there are more songs that work well, than tedium, many of my qualms are just stylistic issues, but rather than having a get of my lawn moment, when it comes to this new take on something old I think they created what they set out to, and there is an audience for this.