“Killing everyone you fucking care for.”
Federal Death Alliance is a name that could only belong to a group within the Myspace sphere of influence. At one point in time, there were solid grounds for assuming that PSYCHO-FRAME and Tactosa were the initiators of the revival movement, with many of the acts that followed riding their coattails. As of now, it’s exceedingly less likely that’s the case. Regardless of what this resurgence’s established champions have done, the return of deathcore’s foundational ideals was inevitable. For the many grassroots visionaries continuing to emerge, it may have been oversaturation fatigue or the natural ambition to recreate what they had grown up with, or both. Even so, not all bands have fully embodied deathcore’s glory days. Subtle yet discernible hints of modern influence have created a paradoxical dilemma with groups that advertise an aversion to contemporary practices. While this doesn’t completely diminish impact, it’s nonetheless detractive. Federal Death Alliance, instead, epitomizes every facet of Myspace deathcore. With their debut EP, Leave No Trace of Human Life, Federal Death Alliance make no compromises and cements a precedent for unending brutality.
Sodomized-with-a-harpoon-core will always be welcomed with open arms by anyone who was cranking The Somatic Defilement on the way to McDonald’s growing up. Still, a unique separator concerning Federal Death Alliance is their ability to effectively blend technicality with heavier set pieces. The malformed progeny of Rings of Saturn, Chelsea Grin, and As Blood Runs Black encompass every second of Leave No Trace of Human Life. For as indelibly crushing as each track is, there are also several layers of technical prowess. Consistent taps and poly riffs over top assault rifle chugs, courtesy of Ben Greenbank, are the bread and butter of Leave No Trace of Human Life, instrumentally speaking. With rhythmic turret drumming and John Pronesti’s garbage disposal lows, this brand of Myspace deathcore is rife with a side of sonic paint thinner. True to its moniker, Leave No Trace of Human Life will have those who aren’t up to auditory par reduced to nothingness well before opening tracks “I Am Eternal” and “As I Snap Your Neck” conclude.
As previously mentioned, and although rarely observed, there are cases where revival bands ultimately resort to utilizing a non-zero number of modern elements in their music. More often than not, this comes in the form of mixing and engineering. All fundamentals might be present and accounted for, but “perfect” production tends to reduce the affectual mass of projects to the point of whitewashed monotony. Staying true to rudimentary imperfections, Mitchell Spears’s raw, open-wound production is what truly gives Federal Death Alliance’s sound the jagged force of spear tip acupuncture. The bass drops of “Abandon Existence” and the titular track could make Girl of Glass blush, assuming Federal Death Alliance didn’t demolish their home studios in the process.
Above all, the most impressive aspect of Federal Death Alliance’s initial offering could be an uncanny aptitude for making “continuous breakdowns” sound engaging in totality. To qualify a bit more, much of this EP, especially “Let Me Die in Peace”, flows through each breakdown with immaculate circulation. Breakdown, sectional death metal reprieve, repeat. The primary caveat in this instance is how Leave No Trace of Human Life manages to pull off unique cycles of unrelenting aural sadism with each compositional iteration. Fuck uniformity: Leave No Trace of Human Life is as gloriously bludgeoned from a structural perspective as the doomed black suit gracing its cover.
Federal Death Alliance have taken their first steps and in many senses are well ahead of their peers. The growing tedium of deathcore has and will continue to plague all eras of the genre to some degree, but if Leave No Trace of Human Life is any indication, this unsolicited pattern will hopefully begin to lessen as more inspired artists combine the multi-dimensional blueprints that have been laid before them. In the meantime, Federal Death Alliance leave more than enough for diversity-starved listeners to revel in.
9/10
Leave No Trace of Human Life has independently released as of August 15 and can be purchased on Bandcamp here.