Master Crow - Die for Humanity

#FOR FANS OF: Melo/Techno/Deathcore, Arsis, Gorod

Hailed as a supergroup of French talent, this second full-length from the melodic/technical death metallers Master Crow bringing along plenty of highly enjoyable elements to make for one of the most explosive and enjoyable offerings in the style. The main segment at play here is the fact that the riff-work is just simply overwhelmingly technical and frantic, whipping up sizeable storms of complex chugging patterns driven along with plenty of ferocious industrial intensity, leaving this one to bring along the sort of blistering rhythms and cold, mechanical feel that’s simply devastating. The approach works in spades with the differing rhythm styles come along with the melodic leads that adds an accessible tone to those mechanical chugging patterns, furthering the overall enjoyment factor of the album with the wholly appealing facet where it’s complex and challenging rhythms that retain a wholly listenable approach with some appropriate and engaging melodies thrown into the mix. Though this does make the album seem somewhat one-note and without a whole lot of variation it’s still engaging and enjoyable enough for a wholly enjoyable listen. The tracks here represent that with a lot to like overall here. The opening title track takes an epic series of swirling rhythms before turning into ravenous pounding drumming and ferocious chugging riff-work leading through the stylized industrial rhythms and polyrhythmic patterns swirling along throughout the solo section and carrying into the frantic chugging patterns in the finale for a highly enjoyable opener here. ‘Down from the Sky’ features blistering technical polyrhythmic riff-work and light melodic drumming chugging along at a frantic mid-tempo pace offering plenty of stylish technical breakdowns alongside the swirling melodic leads bringing the tight riffing patterns through the final half for another highlight effort. ‘Road of Vice’ brings polyrhythmic technical charging patterns and blistering technical drum-work along through plenty of ravenous riffing and plenty of dynamic drum-blasts that bring the melodic flurries in small doses against the dynamic chugging whipping along through the finale for a decent enough effort. ‘Katyusha’ takes a slow, swirling series of droning riff-work and dexterous, technical drumming whipping along through highly complex rhythms full of feverish tempos blasting along through the breakdowns in the chugging rhythms through the solo section and keeping the frantic technical energy along through the chugging final half for another strong highlight. ‘Scream in the Night’ blasts through dynamic chugging riffing and pummeling drumming with plenty of driving technical rhythms firing along through the explosive series of overwhelming technical patterns blasting away against the melodic leads augmented with the clean vocals into the breakdowns of the finale makes for a wholly impressive offering. ‘Staind in Blood’ uses buzzing chug rhythms and mechanical patterns through a series of furious breakdowns that whip along through a wholly frantic and furious blast of blazing technical chugging alongside the blasting drum-work that chops along through the final half for a blazing highlight. ‘Born to Be Crucified’ takes stuttering technical rhythms and frantic mechanical rhythms with pummeling drum-work carrying along through the stuttering tempo as the melodic rhythms carry along through the explosive swarm of up-tempo rhythms along through the breakdown-laden solo section and on through the finale for a strong and overall enjoyable effort. ‘Eye of the Troll’ takes blistering, blazing drumming with plenty of tight, choppy technical rhythms alongside the furious technical, challenging riffing with plenty of stellar polyrhythmic runs along through the tight breakdowns as the choppy melodic leads carry the frantic paces along through the sprawling final half for a decent and enjoyable offering. Closing with the Theo Holander version ‘Down from the Sky’ which doesn’t really offer much of a difference from the earlier normal version and doesn’t offer enough of a change that there’s any reason for it to be included here as it’s the same blasting drumming over frantic technically-challenging chugging that appeared on the other version, leaving it a curious inclusion overall. Overall this one had quite a large amount to fully like here. (Don Anelli)

(Self - 2014)
Score: 85

https://mastercrow.bandcamp.com/releases