Review: “A Fractured Reality” by Semprus

“The concept for this EP is the insanity of everyday life. To help you understand that existence is pain, but we can get through it, if we learn to accept our flaws, evolve, talk to each other and let go of hatred and misery, and put an end to humanity’s identity crisis.” ~ Travis Beckett, vocals

Drawing a line in the sand and moving forward with a cemented line up, Technical Death Metal quintet Semprus unleashed hell in the form of their debut EP “Desolation” in January 2022. The culmination of a years hard work, it was merely the tip of the iceberg, a showcase of boundless aggression framed in technical riffage giving the band a ruthless streak to match their lyrical intensity. 32k of Spotify streams may not do the five piece the justice they deserve for their endeavours but it has given them the confidence in their vision to create sophomore record “A Fractured Reality“. Prepare for a lethal dose of brutality because something wicked this way comes…

Opening cut “Insanity” lives up to its title as a hammer blow of a track with an eclectic feel due to a myriad of influences bubbling up very close to the surface. Somehow Semprus have managed to keep everything tightly wrapped and cohesive despite this one feeling like you’ve inadvertently opened Pandora’s box and the skeletons, creepy crawlies and ghosts of Christmas past are trying to escape all at once. Echoes of Slipknot, Loathe and Thy Art Is Murder are all worn on the sleeves of this band as they bare their teeth on this cut before the brutal roar from Beckett in the centre and downtempo moment in the final third give it a real edge. The beauty of it is that the influences give it an instant appeal as you’ve heard things in a similar vein before, it’s heavy enough to crush with fleeting moments of melody that entice. “Hatred” finds the band joined by Ben Mason of Bound In Fear and Pintglass fame and introduced by a demonic sample it’s a fierce cut with a bombastic bassline from Fabian Pilinski. Semprus make great use of their guest, Mason and Beckett going toe to toe with intertwining vocals, spitting blood, fire and venom at each other like duelling beasts and making it so much more than the usual cameo. Guitarist duo Stavros Tagios and Aidan Lucas send riffs flying in all directions, masters of the Deathcore sound and yet able to mix it up with the best of them with verve and swagger.

Floating between Death Metal, Nu-Metalcore and Deathcore subgenres with consummate ease “Genetic Misery” continues to demonstrate the multifaceted nature of this band, never afraid to pursue their ideas to fruition and create something a little different. Some vocal moments reach and touch the void in to Slam territory, some of the leads feel like they’ve been plucked from the Final Fantasy video game soundtrack and the combination of jackhammer footwork and riffs delights. Then you’ve got the false ending and ting back into a Deathcore bridge that has Beckett spitting, snarling and snorting, a coup de grace that will keep you coming back for more. It’s another that on paper probably shouldn’t work but in reality is absolutely devastating. Ensuring that resistances is futile, “Cursed” goes off like a Molotov Cocktail of fiery intensity and pulsating rhythmic battery, an unstoppable force of nature that crushes the weak and feeds on their shattered bones. Unclean rap screams reach feral levels in the verse before the scream-a-long chorus dovetails into the insanity nicely. A melodic and melancholic introduction to “Identity Crisis” gives a false sense of security before the blasting starts and Harry Cook tears everything apart. Restless and relentless percussive battery, a pancake stack of breakdowns and what sounds like some sinister Gothic programming bring the nightmarish lyrics to life while a classical solo is a pleasant surprise. There is even time for some Slam vocal brutality in the final 40 seconds as the void swallows Beckett whole. All in all, this is one to leave you asking a simple question. Please sir, can we have some more? [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Insanity
2. Hatred (ft. Ben Mason of Bound In Fear and Pintglass)
3. Genetic Misery
4. Cursed
5. Identity Crisis

“A Fractured Reality” by Semprus is out 29th September 2023