Review: “Break. Burn. End” by Violent Life Violent Death

Formed from the ashes of Deception of A Ghost and A Stained Glass Romance circa 2016, Charlotte North Carolina Metallic Hardcore heavyweights Violent Life Violent Death have been cutting their own path through the urban jungle, releasing an unholy trinity of EPs and a full length album under their bullet belts in the seven years to date. Despite having critically acclaimed records and over a million Spotify streams alone for 2019 single “Sadness Rains” and a continued evolution of sound on 2020 EP “The Color Of Bone“, the quintet are hungry for more. Seeking to increase their intensity levels and going by the mantra that sometimes violence is the answer, they got in touch with Kyle Dameron at Rareform Recordings (The Bunny The Bear, Auxilia, Life Right Now), to handle the boards and mix and master “Break. Burn. End“.

The arty feel of 90’s Hardcore records like “Punishment” by Biohazard is captured with the introduction to “Weapon of Pain” before Violent Life Violent Death launch themselves headlong into traffic with their own brand of Metallic Hardcore which goes off like a nail bomb. Machine gun metronomic drumming from David Holquin is coupled with classic Death Metal toned guitars and brutally savage vocals from Scott Cowan that are enough to wake from hibernation in order to run to the hills. “The Snapping of Teeth” then confirms what you just heard wasn’t a flash in the pan warning shot but a threat of terror to come with an evil spoken word moment and death growled backing vocals that go against the grain of Scott Cowan’s shriller pitching. What’s unique about this band is that while they have a solid Hardcore foundation they embrace so many Metal elements that they have crossover appeal. As an album there is plenty of 90’s Death Metal influence, a bit of late 80’s bay area Thrash and some early 2000’s American Metalcore all in the mix. Thrash vibes bleed into “Deceit Welcomed by Blind Grace”, another vicious assualt on the senses delivered at circle pit inducing speed before slowing down to allow sinister leads to add more of a Metal flavour. Each short and violent burst of aggression feels like murder by a thousand cuts, the nuances hidden in the mix, rising to the surface with each repeated listen. Racing out of Hell’s gate with a seemingly insatiable bloodlust “The Light Behind” exposés a murderous intent with a story from the eyes of a serial killer. A vicious little ditty so barbed that it will cut you to shreds, it should come with its own public health warning.

In the same vein as “Antpile” from Kublai Khan, title track “Break. Burn. End.” feeds off a sample before delivering the kind of breakdown that causes necks to get snapped. Whether intentional or otherwise it actually serves as a short, razor sharp introduction piece to the brutal “Saying Your Name is to Choke on Ash“, a cut front loaded with the kind of dry throated raspy vocals that Robert Meadows built his name on in A Life Once Lost. The arty whispered moments seem to be part of the album’s formula, knitting the songs together nicely and here it gives fleeting respite from the sheer intensity of the main vocal. Galloping kit work brings “Maintain the Quiet” to life in a firestorm of riffs before a downtempo groove laden passage shakes the very foundations. Another stone cold winner, to add to the restless and relentless pummelling pile, it ensures there is no point of weakness to create any drama here. Arguably the most Thrash soaked cut “Heaven so Far Away” dances in the brain stem, fizzing and burning, the whirlwind of percussive battery threatening an extinction level event on the opposite side of the globe. If the band need a set opening cut to change things up then this is the one, it’s almost an injustice to have it so late in the record, it’s that good. A summary point for not only the album but the bands sound as a whole “Come Armageddon” is one that smashes the clock in fear before delivering another violent delight with a Gothic Horror narrative. If anyone doubted you could do atmosphere in 183 seconds well… this proves the naysayers wrong. A smash and grab of a record, this one will have you hooked like a designer drug with moments of nostalgia thinly veiled in a powerhouse offering [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Weapon of Pain
2. The Snapping of Teeth
3. Deceit Welcomed by Blind Grace
4. Devastation on the Tip of the Tongue
5. The Light Behind
6. Break. Burn. End.
7. Saying Your Name is to Choke on Ash
8. Maintain the Quiet
9. Heaven so Far Away
10. Come Armageddon

“Break. Burn. End” by Violent Life Violent Death is out 15th September 2023 via Innerstrength Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.