All Shall Perish – This Is Where It Ends

The End Is Not Here

Amongst the subgenres of heavy metal, few are more polarizing than deathcore. “True” death metal fans shy away from deathcore due to its incorporation of rhythmic “breakdowns”, and metalcore fans are turned off by the death growls. Bands like All Shall Perish attempt to bridge the gap with a strongly melodic version of deathcore, a style they continue to champion on This Is Where It Ends, a well-executed (if less than groundbreaking) album.

Opener “Divine Illusion” throws down the gauntlet with crushing guitars and drum pyrotechnics, courtesy of new members Francesco Artusato and Adam Pierce. Almost immediately, the band demonstrates their penchant for blending melody with brutality, as Artusato’s solo owes more to the neoclassical stylings of Yngwie than the atonal rampages of Kerry King. “There Is Nothing Left” is straight out of the In Flames handbook, mixing harmonized guitar riffs with broad choruses and breakdowns.  On “Spineless”, the guys raise the bar with dizzying guitar leads and complex footwork from Pierce, before relenting slightly on “The Past Will Haunt Us Both”, another slice of melodic death metal. “The Death Plague” heralds a return to classic deathcore sounds, complete with a guest spot by Despised Icon vocalist Alexandre Erian, before the album closes with “In This Life Of Pain,” a track featuring clean vocal harmonies and bookended by symphonic piano passages.

Fans of the band’s last few albums will enjoy This Is Where It Ends as well, but don’t expect any surprises. Also, deathcore fans that prefer their music with more “core” and less “death” should give this a shot. If you enjoy bands like Whitechapel and Oceano, this is not your side of deathcore. All Shall Perish knows what they do well, and on This Is Where It Ends, they deliver the goods once again.