“How many men will die trying to make this right?”
Utah’s Eidola have had an interesting lineage. A noted member, conscious or not, of the swancore movement in post-hardcore in the early 2010s, there’s always been something special about this band to me since my first encounter. I’ll admit, too, that my first impressions of the band being lead vocalist/guitarist Andrew Wells’ two studio vocal features on Dance Gavin Dance’s Artificial Selection and Afterburner (before coming a permanent member of the group in 2021) likely helped instil the image of their place within that sect of the music world, but something about them has seemed somewhat destined for more beyond that swancore label. That’s not to say that any comparisons to Dance Gavin Dance serve as a net negative for Eidola, but it certainly felt like the group had much more to say beyond being regimented to that sound. Now, with Eviscerate, the Utah group prove to be every bit as forward-thinking as their previous material signalled, and deliver on that promise with greater confidence than ever before.
Standing as one half of a double LP, Eviscerate, noted as the decidedly darker half of the equation, certainly lives up to that notion. This thing can get obliteratingly heavy at times, with Wells offering up harsh vocals of his own, alongside historical harsh vocalist/guitarist Matthew Dommer to help cement the idea that this is Eidola going all-out, at their heaviest, wildest and most bold to date. It’s not just in the vocal composition, either, as Eviscerate also introduces the band’s use of seven-string guitars for the first time, ushering in a layer of guttural fury that is rarely tapped into by swancore-adjacent bands, and provides an additional sense of weight alongside the heightened emphasis on groove-laden riffs strewn across many of the LP’s highlights (“The Weight of Sin”, “Fistful of Hornets”, “Golgotha Compendium: Fifth Temple”). It’s a colour that proves to suit them well, despite it being a fairly new venture for the group, and it’s one that I hope to see embraced into further material following the brighter side of this double LP.
That being said, while it’s undeniable that Eviscerate represents a no-holds-barred onslaught of the heaviest material this band have penned yet, that’s not to say that the band’s long-standing penchant for melodic brilliance falls to the wayside – quite the opposite. In expert contrast to the relative aggression of the album’s sound, Eidola tap further into their melodic sensibilities and bolster them even further when stacked up against their previous releases. Wells’ vocal melodies here are as infectious and gorgeous as ever, and the album’s juxtapositionally subdued moments (“He Who Pulls the Strings Ties a Knot”, “God Takes Everything Away”) shine as a result. It bodes well for the second half, as it truly feels that Eidola have hit a brand new stride in terms of the compositional skills and creative synergy.
Further to that, it truly feels as though each member is hitting a personal stride across Eviscerate. Wells’ downright gorgeous vocal tone is brighter and more alluring here than ever before across each and every track, with the addition of harsh vocals to his repertoire only proving to be a positive. James Johnson’s bass work also proves to be one of the record’s strongest elements, being given space to cut through and ride on its own terms on a few of the album’s cuts (“Who of You Will Persevere?”, “Ziggurat”). Matthew Hansen’s drumming here also proves a highlight, working alongside the band’s three world-class guitarists in Wells, Dommer, and, of course, Sergio Medina, to provide a sense of groove, pace and ferocity when needed that truly sticks out as some of the most impressive I’ve heard thus far in 2024.
While it’s certainly true that a great many elements of Eidola’s sonic makeup on Eviscerate may still fall under the broader swancore banner, there is something deeply unique and special about this record. A darker, more visceral, and expansive take on the sound; replete with seven-string guitar riffing, violent breakdowns and some truly progressive sensibilities – Eviscerate proves to be not only the band’s strongest output to date, but one of the strongest of the year so far. There are many new colours and textures to Eidola’s sound here that are noteworthy, and all converge to create their most dense and intricate tapestry of sound yet. One can only hope that, beyond the LP’s brighter sister record, Mend, the Utah group tap into this more primal, groovy and aggressive angle again – as Eviscerate proves to be a sight (or rather a sound) to behold.
9/10
Eviscerate is due for release this Friday, April 12th, via Blue Swan/Rise, and you can find pre-orders for the record here.