“You may bleed like me, but we are not the same.“
It’s become increasingly well-known that the ‘MySpace era’ revival has been taking shape for the past couple of years. Amidst a crushing swath of mostly deathcore and metalcore acts perpetuating this overwhelmingly nostalgia-filled reawakening, several genres appear to be promptly following suite. Despite the ‘MySpace era’ being distinctively bereft of this genre during its progenitive run, hardcore is one such rising poster child of the scene’s sentimental renaissance.
Feeling wistful of that early Integrity, Ringworm, and All Out War sound? Longing to hear that over a fresh coat of prodigiously executed production? Curious what affirmatively noticeable yet nutritiously integrated tones of thrash and death metal might offer in terms of a cross-genre pollinated showcase? Ever wanted to hear the aforementioned meld into a seventeen-minute, brutally entrancing ode to the samurai of feudal Japan? If the answer to even one—but ideally all—of these questions is “yes”, the very great and powerful Jon Whittle, Dave Mustrange, and Hunter Young of revival era-enduring titans PSYCHO-FRAME provide the perfect assortment of cutlery as WARSPAWN with their debut EP, Immaculate Objection. As painstakingly crafted, well-maintained, and razor-sharp as katana itself, Immaculate Objection is a suitably deep-cutting and humble inception for what will hopefully stand as the first of many Bushido-parallel requiems viciously reverberated by WARSPAWN.
Immaculate Objection’s titular track begins WARSPAWN’s koan with everything proponents of hardcore, thrash, and death metal cherish. Whittle’s signature highs atop the crisp drumming and chug-stocked guitar work of Mustrange and Young sonically slice through the listener’s ear drums with all the ferocity of a seasoned ronin. With the chaotic drumming of thrash, guitar tones of death metal, and the fundamental structure and pace of hardcore, it becomes abundantly clear from the very onset of Immaculate Objection that WARSPAWN intend to maintain a tightly disciplined approach to execution and composition.
“Enemies Of Ascension” and “Scars From The World”only beget more of this concretely solidified, blood-drenched haiku. Broodingly fast and methodical, the former track closes with a literal pit warrior-worthy breakdown seamlessly wrapped in a shamisen strum. Opting not to clean their wounds or weapons on the latter song, WARSPAWN continues the pervasively unrelenting onslaught. Appropriately juxtaposing its predecessor’s meticulously brutal finish, “Scars From the World” trades in control for pure chaos with a Slayer-like solo to cap its two and a half minute hack ‘n slash.
The long-standing mantra ‘A warrior may rest when the battle is over’ feels personified on Immaculate Objection. Regardless of circumstance or degree of strife, WARSPAWN keeps a statically consistent velocity throughout most of the EP. Aggression never sounds as though it is compromised for technicality, and vice versa. “Last Losing Pulse” and “Razored Dominion” exhibit that notion an impeccable degree. At times WARSPAWN allow themselves and listeners to catch their breath, only to return with an ocular assault seemingly more violent yet fluently regulated than the last.
Nearing metaphorical victory or defeat, Immaculate Objection continues with a more orderly beginning and perhaps symbolic final battle preparation on “My Human Decline”. Atmospheric and unhurried to start, it quickly evolves into another metallic hardcore exhibition that ends on a much more abrupt note. Whether or not the emblematic subject of Immaculate Objection has met final triumph or vanquishment, “My Human Decline” elucidates to us all that it did not go down without swinging.
Aptly named and feasibly allusive to a final bow, “Warspawn Outro” is a primarily instrumental conclusion to Immaculate Objection that properly leaves the fate of the assumed warrior open to interpretation. Shamisen-omnipresent and still as riff-heavy as each former track, WARSPAWN befittingly ends their genesis on a resoundingly high note. Seven tracks later, the tightly produced and technically sound journey reaches its end.
Transcending metallic hardcore, Immaculate Objection achieves unanimous victory and stands as a testament to the expertise of Whittle, Mustrange, and Young. Honing their craft from projects current and prior, WARSPAWN has delivered a superbly formulated slicing of genre-essential sound whilst maintaining a uniquely solvent tone that will recognizably persist as their own regardless of whether Immaculate Objection ends up being a lone release or the first in a series of further output.
9/10
Immaculate Objection releases on February 21st through Blackheaven Records, and you can pre-order it here.