Hero Destroyed

Hero Destroyed

Written by: AP on 31/08/2008 20:08:18

Now that I've finished my campaign of the ethnic cleansing of metalcore from my review queue, I'm delighted to finally offer insights to a more diverse list of releases. It's been a while, too. And what better way to start afresh than a band fresh out of Relapse's infamous processing lab, which, word has it, is a haven for experimental upstarts. Hero Destroyed, formerly known as the less intriguing, anti-human Commit Suicide, are the newest addition to Relapse's roster of unpretentious, punishingly technical orchestras. They should feel right at home there, what with having drawn considerable influence from label mates Mastodon and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Those influences are, I don't want to say selling point but, the core of the album. But by no means should this imply that Hero Destroyed's self-titled debut is somehow the product of mere copy and paste. Far from it. What we get here is a hail of mechanistic, thought-out, technical hardcore with puzzling beats, dissonant riffing and gut-wrenching bass, where the band's influences meet and part at random so that in any given song, it's possible to hear all of the best of Mastodon, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge and The Red Chord. I don't think I'm alone when I say that those are the ingredients of one tasty burger.

It's no secret that Hero Destroyed's music is driven by the vocals. Hell, Pat sounds like a really pissed off Guy Kozowyk and does his best to histrionically occupy as much space as possible. So, if you want your music drenched in serpentine solos, stop reading now. That is not to say that Zach and Jeff are prepared to give in without a fight. What is unleashed by their fretboards sounds like an acid trip without the comedown. Non-stop mathematical discord wizardry where the concept of rhythm guitar is completely distorted. "What the fuck is going on?" is a question that best describes how boggled your mind will be halfway through the album. Halfway.

What we have here is a strong candidate to disturb the math rock elite; the kind of album that instantly paints a smile on my face. A child-eating, bunny-destroying fuck you to convention. "Hero Destroyed" has no best moment and no worst moment, and as such it's an album to covet. A consistent, if short barrage of groovy fucking rock n' roll for fans of the extreme - and an offending burst of noise for the light of heart. "Hero Destroyed" doesn't behave. It induces a higher pulse and makes you want to damage things dear to you. You've been warned.

8

Download: Cause for Cancer, Bloody Hand, Code of Arms, Head in the Noose
For the fans of: Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, The Red Chord
Listen: Myspace

Release date 14.07.2008
Relapse

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