3rd January 2022

Review: “Deathbell” by In Gloom

Florida Deathcore merchants In Gloom have been on our horizon since their 2020 self titled record littered with a collection of guest vocalists including Kyle Medina of Bodysnatcher landed on us like a Grand Piano from the 14th floor of a high rise. On paper that made for a really intriguing offering before a note was heard and the same can be said of it’s follow up “Deathbell” because even though no guests appear, the credits include mastering by Lance Prenc Audio (Alpha Wolf, Void Of Vision, Polaris) following recording and production from by Collin Hajek with post-producing and mixing by James Lewis of Forerunner Recordings (Cold Dead Hands, Throne, Lordis)…

…In Gloom cut their Deathcore offering with DJent fueled riffs and Gloom Metal atmospheres with little hints at Nu-Metalcore darkness with opening cut “The Black Door” beginning the nightmare with some KoRn esq background tones before the all out onslaught of the brutal “Deadlands” cuts like a butchers knife. Pyrotechnic flame bursts of incendiary kit work, tempo shifts to Downtempo Deathcore and then back up with violent intent are unbelievably swift and painlessly executed. “Coldharbour” then continues the angular juddering riffs and barbed vocals with duo Colin Hajeck and Michael Darrow smashing shriller screams against bowel clenching gutterals like a blunt force trauma in full effect. Nightmarish background sounds echo out behind the main sonics, something which is done really well; each track is segmented with parts that could easily be interchanged with parts from other songs but still manages to hang together with tight, small stitches thanks to the lyrical narrative and crushing black depth of atmospheric. “The Hunting Grounds” then adds in more Slam vocals and takes Party Deathcore bands like Attila to the cleaners with its downright debauched destruction and that’s before the beast that is “The Neverthere“. Drummer Tyler Savino brings the jackhammer footwork as the vocalist duo vent their anger with pure catharsis and we witness the birth of a genre titan of the future. Older, wiser and in some ways more aggressive than their debut, this is In Gloom in their purist form, the lack of guests meaning they’re writing without any shade of influence [7.5/10]

Track listing