Death is June- Vexed : "Negative Energy"

This British metal band is heavy on groove in a way that bridges the synapses fire of nu-metal, djent and metal core in a manner that takes the cringe out of all the above. All of those sub-genres, are influenced by death metal, if not living in the same sonic zip code as death. Sung vocals are more of a rarity here, and this album is dominated by a growl so we are going to feature it under our Death is June banner that is being flown this month to celebrate death metal.  Granted if you are reading this is a Discharge shirt and have Creeping Death in heavy rotation then they are going to be too well produced and not your thing. For every one else with a little more wiggle room in their tastes, the first song and lead single "Anti- Fetish" will likely draw you in.

 The down tuned guitar that twists around the drums is very well down and hits you with an undulating wall of sound. Explosive in it's energy and seductive in the manner it makes you nod your head. But while it peaked my interest, I was interested in hearing what else they were capable of . Megan's voice is very androgynous. Her main strength as vocalist is the  manner her almost rapped growls bob and weave around the music. "X my..." finds a uniform formula beginning to settle into place in regards to how they serve up their down tuned grooves. "Panic Attack" finds the tempo picking up to creating a more Pantera centric groove , before getting back to the more familiar sounds. "Lay down your flowers" fins them beginning to play it a little too safe with the formula, but hooky manner Megan lays her vocals over the bounce of the riff compensates for this. But midway into the album they need to pull from more sonic colors in order to keep my attention. Perhaps if I was a teenager I would be placated by the sheer angst they bring to the table. 

"There's no place like home" might sample "the Wizard of Oz" but the go to the well in a similar manner too many times is the verdict. Lyrics about manipulating a narrative, make me wonder if songs about gaslighting are where society has brought us. "Extremist" finds her rapid fire vocals firing off with the same venom that has been propelling this album. Two songs in a row that mention narrative, makes me question her lyrical prowess. Her singing is fleeting but effective on "Default". The guitars continue to pound at you. There is more emphasis placed on her singing, when she belts out the big soaring chorus for "Trauma Euphoria". 

The album takes a more melodic turn with "it's not the end". She starts off singing then it pounds back into place the formula the album is fueled by. She singing pops in and out of this song to offer more hooks. There are also more clean guitar tones to bring ambiance. The soft to loud dynamic creating a late 90s metal feel.  "Nepotism" closes the album with the anthemic brand of metal core that dominates this album, while there is a slight break down feel to some of the transitions it is more metal than core. I will give this album an 8.5 , it is a great deal of fun even if it color in the lines too neatly at times. It drops June 23rd on Napalm Records..