24th December 2021

Review: “Humanity’s Collapse” from Dead Again!

Many who convert to Christianity in later life refer to themselves as “born again” and so having had an upbringing in the religion, the counter term “Dead Again” was chosen as the moniker for a Portland Orgeon Deathcore collective that features in their ranks former members of Offerings, Prometheus and Variants. You know that with a name like that the band are going to be heavy but when they then share influences in The Black Dahlia Murder, Spite and Slayer… You know what time it is. The band comprise John Mendoza-Cruz (vocals), Zildjian Viers (guitars), David Salem (bass), Jacob Calica (guitars) and Zachary Farrenkopf and they’re currently working on sophomore record “Extinction“.

Seven tracks over 19 minutes tells you “Humanity’s Collapse” is going to be a series of short, sharp shocks and with only two cuts surpassing the three minute mark you’d be right. Distant gunfire and a baby crying set a bleak tone as “Awakening Mephistopheles” rises from the black depths for a single skull crushing verse from Mendoza-Cruz that will s*** up the faint of heart among you. The sinister and menacing overtones continue into the atmospheric “Preponderated Hate“, which sees Mendoza-Cruz showcase a range of Deathcore and Death Metal vocal styles with shriller cutting tones interspliced with a brutal bark and then layered up like a pancake stack to give the impression of dual vocalists at points. It’s a vicious little ditty before the barbed “Self-Immolation” comes out swinging with some tasteful DJentisms and swirling, turbulent riffs that bring with them that sense of impending doom. The breakdowns pile up thick and fast with “Dissolution” meaning it’s time to call a tow truck before it reaches its rampaging finale, the band seemingly happy to burn out rather than fade away while throwing at is a wealth of neck snapping material that is designed for you to throw your friends around in th pit to. Heavy doesn’t even come close to describing the stomach churning brutality on show here. Dead Again are an alligator that want nothing more than to drag you into the black depths of cold water and deathroll you and they do it in the best possible way. Then there is the almost symphonic leads on “Dismembered Celestial” that matches off the brutal roars with something almost ethereal in stunning fashion that confirms there is more to this band than slab after concrete slab of eight string density. If you thought you could escape this beast without a “Bleigh!” moment, you’d be sorely mistaken as it rears its ugly head during the blunt force trauma of “Infernal Adversery“, a tour de force of what this band are about that brings up the rear in style. Humanity may have collapsed but Dead Again have arisen [8/10]

Track listing