Hackneyed - Carnival Cadavre
Child prodigies in the Death Metal genre are always a risky gamble. Let me date myself and ask, does anyone out there remember the Deathkids? Okay, the four people that do, can you remember any of their songs? See what I mean? But Germany’s Hackneyed are much better than that. If I’m not mistaken, they were in their very early teens or younger when they put out 2008’s Death Prevails, a fine album with some great songs that I can actually still remember (“Gut Candy,” “Worlds Collide”). I missed out on their second album (2009’s Burn After Reaping) somehow. Maybe a subconscious fear of a sophomore slump, or more realistically, I was probably out fucking some fat bitches. Regardless, I figured it’s time I dropped in on the kids and see how they’ve matured. Actually not a whole lot’s changed. They’re still writing simplistic but catchy and brutal Death Metal anthems. “Bugging for Mercy” and “Circus Coccus Spirilly” (whatever the fuck that means) have a real bareknuckle Jungle Rot quality, while “Maculate Conception” has some blasting and a pit riff that could get you headbanging at your dearest loved one’s funeral. “Magic Malignancy” also features solid blasting and a good chorus, although the pit riff isn’t quite as volatile. “Feed the Lions” is also a worthy cut, plus it reminds me of the good old days when we knew what to do with Christians. Funny how their god never saved them. A couple tracks here feature Deathcore-style “bree-bree” pig squeals, but other than that most trends are avoided. What’s unfortunate is the high amount of filler. Basically if I didn’t mention it, it’s because it wasn’t worth mentioning. So, a very good Death Metal album that potentially could’ve been better. You know, it’s sad. At the ripe age of 15, I was once a Death Metal child prodigy (sure, we might have to manipulate the meaning of the word “prodigy” just a little). Enjoy it while it lasts, guys. Hopefully when you reach your early 30s you won’t be listening to Hanging Garden and Happy Days every night with a gun in your mouth, trying to think of reasons to live.
(0) Comment(s)
Page 1 of 1 pages