“Utmost foul, the milk from thine teat.“
With a burgeoning metalcore, hardcore and deathcore scene, Australia’s latest offering comes from Melbourne quartet Mélancolia with the release of their debut album HissThroughRottenTeeth. Released just over a year after their debut single “Horror Ethereal” (the album’s opening track), which had a suitably disturbing video to honour the title, the wait has been worth it. This thematic album traverses the pain of existence and our lack of say in coming into this world, as stated by vocalist Alex Hill, it follows a cast down deity doomed to live a human existence as is well depicted in their stunning album artwork.
Breaking tradition, Mélancolia have take the line-up approach of a vocalist, two guitarists, Joshua Taafe and Billy Morris, and drummer Mason Page. With the latter possessing what must be some of the fastest feet in the business nothing is lost without a bass and quite honestly with the talent on display here it would be surplus to requirements. As well as this they have bucked the trend for heavy breaks and instead adopt a consistent marching approach to their music with spaces left open for each sound to have its moment to come to the fore, offering the contrast throughout which is often left for breakdowns.
Hill is masterful in his ability to create texture through his vocals, with both disturbing high vocals incorporating rap style passages and guttural screams bringing ebb and flow to each track, whilst the use of two guitars gives the opportunity for complex melodies to be carried by both Taafe and Morris. There is truly the sense that every instrument has its role here with no wasted spaces and each bringing balance and cohesion to the overall sound and offering elements closer to nu metal than death core at times, showcasing the diversity they have the ability to pull off.
As is often the case with concept albums this record can be split in half, the arrival of the deity followed by the realisation it is stuck on this mortal coil. There is no hanging about with the intro of “Horror Etheral” with an upfront drum riff and gritty opening chords spaced with eerie keys, the sense of being dragged down is palpable and you know you’re in for a hell of a journey. The ability to fuse genres is clear from the get go and successfully builds anticipation for what’s to come. “Dread Will Follow” is aptly titled and unapologetic from the start with a filthy guitar riff that is relentless from start to finish and again the skill of Mason Page to create atmosphere cannot be overlooked. There is not a single moment missed to demonstrate what percussion can offer when allowed to shine so brilliantly as it is here. “God Tongue” brings a well placed tempo change to offset the risk of things becoming ‘same-y’ with some great key changes in the melody. “When Shovels Drag On Concrete” reverts back to the same intro format as “Horror Ethereal” which is fitting as the ‘last track of the first half’ as it were, with a big change of pace half way through in the form of a stunning lilting break with analog speech running through it, there are absolutely no one trick ponies here.
“Hands That Tied The Noose” brings a moment of reflection lyrically reminding us our existence is not our choice “I was born with a noose around my neck” before moving into Inure, the second single released from this album back in February. “Inure” by definition means to have become accustomed to something unpleasant and with lyrics such as “grinding my teeth constantly before they erode, only to feel when the dead nerve is exposed” it’s fair to say the meaning has been honoured. Here Hill really comes into his own, using the aforementioned rap passages to give brilliant flow and stamp his versatility on this record, it’s an effective technique that could definitely be utilised more. Penultimately comes the album’s title track “HissThroughRottenTeeth” a lamenting guitar riff to open before the second set of strings comes with what can only be described as a groove ‘bass’, demonstrating Mélancolia really do not sacrifice anything by opting not to have a bass guitar among them. “…a cold static eulogy” rounds off the album well, providing a brilliant soundscape with a beautiful melody in the background, reminiscent of something from the Kill Bill soundtrack, set within traditional blast-beats and heavy riffs. It’s a perfect theatrical closer and leaves us in admiration for Mélancolia.
There can be no mistake that these newcomers have firmly arrived and fully intend to make their mark on this scene. Signed to two powerhouse labels and having made their live debut with label-mates Thy Art Is Murder, they’re certainly going about it the right way. The main query here would be how many more records we need embracing the concept of entities finding themselves on mortal grounds. Whilst the concept works due to it being a very real and human notion at its core (hence the frequency of use), there remains the question as to whether emotions always translate fully when the subject is ‘other’. Such is the musical capability on this record it is possible to overlook the above for the bigger picture. The track listing is well thought out and is pleasing from start to finish, with the journey taking you exactly where you want it to, creating tension, atmosphere and dread, never leaving the listener bored from a sonic perspective. To underestimate their potential which has been solidified by HissThroughRottenTeeth would be foolish, making them one to watch.
8/10
HissThroughRottenTeeth will be available this Friday, April 21st, via Nuclear Blast/Greyscale Records, and you can pre-order it here.