“Can you see what I’ve seen and know the beauty in suffering?“
In recent months we’ve seen lots of new deathcore acts begin to crop up, lead by the resurgence that PSYCHO FRAME started back when their debut EP, REMOTE GOD SEEKER dropped in 2023. And now another great act have joined the crusade, in the form Crucifiction, with their debut album truly setting itself apart from that often imitated, rarely captured style and instead combining equal parts violence and poeticism to produce yet another fresh take on what was once a dying genre.
Before we get into the album itself, we need to clear a few things up. There are certainly similarities at times between this project and modern contemporaries in PSYCHO FRAME and Killing Of A Sacred Deer. Perhaps that is to be expected when musical mastermind Hunter Young worked alongside frontman Salem Vex to write the instrumental portion of this release. And with fellow Digital Ghost Audio member, Brandan Lopez mixing and mastering this release, there’s a level of quality to be expected which has just not been achieved by many others within the scene to date. With that in mind, absolutely nobody should go into this album expecting something that sounds like PSYCHO FRAME . Frontman Salem Vex brings an entirely different style to this release, and the vocal delivery combined with the interwoven concept across the album’s lyrics truly sets it apart as being its own, truly unique release.
Co-written by Salem and Damien Douleur of The Requiem, the album is written from the perspective of a psychopath; coldly and methodically stalking, capturing, and exacting revenge upon his enemies one-by-one. Perhaps it is fitting then that the opening track, “The Object“, is actually a quote from Jeffrey Dahmer on the topic of dehumanising his victims. This sentiment is reflected through the lyrics across the release, with us getting a glimpse into his mindset and the brutality that he inflicts.
There’s no punches held here, you, the listener, are constantly pummelled by a combination of unrelentingly violent lyrics, incredibly harsh vocals, and an instrumental unit that never lets up to match. There is no space to breathe here, the whole album flows this way, but it absolutely works. There’s variation on the approach track-by-track that keeps things feeling consistently fresh, but the overarching feeling remains the same – there’s a clear hatred behind every word.
“stop fucking crying and just end your life
i want to see the light leave your eyes
the earth’s scum welcomes your soul
flies and maggots devour your insides whole”
Without spoiling too much of the underlying plot, there’s a few specific moments on here that truly stand out as something else. Take “The Gift” for example, which explores our main characters fantasies surrounding the brutality they wish to inflict. Very little is left to the imagination here, and it truly feels uneasy when listening at more than face value. Akin to a horror-thriller, this unease is gripping and you can’t help but continue to listen, wondering what is coming next.
Vex’s vocal delivery is something truly unique, and it’s his inhuman ability to maintain these consistently high, screeching vocals that truly sets this project apart from its contemporaries. Vocal features from Spite’s Darius Tehrani and Melancolia’s Alex Hill bring a welcomed variation and contrast, with each being afforded their own opportunities to shine in their own way whilst complimenting Vex perfectly.
Of course, that’s not to say the instrumentals are not also fantastic, but that’s almost to be expected… Combining chugging guitars, punchy drums, and plenty of breakdowns, Hunter really puts on a show and proves that anything he touches is gold.
Crucifiction’s Will To Power is without a doubt in the upper echelon of modern deathcore, and certainly deserves to be held in high regard alongside the likes of PSYCHO FRAME and Killing Of A Sacred Deer. Without a doubt, fans of the genre’s ‘revival‘ will love this album, and, given enough time, Crucifiction will absolutely be regarded as a modern classic. The only questions that remain are where how far will this project go, and when will we be able to hear these tracks live?
8.5/10
Will To Power is set to release October 11th via Rise Records, and can be pre-ordered here.