Review: “Summer Of Slam” by Sammy SlamDance

There are solo projects and then there is the work of Nashville Tennessee based Audio Engineer, multi instrumentalist and vocalist Sam Schneider (ex-Inferi, Abysswalker) also known as Sammy SlamDance. Having been around the scene for as long as anyone can remember, he’s been recording, mixing and mastering his own work as well as that of others (Temple Of Demigod, Abated Mass Of Flesh), throwing out everything you can imagine from covers (Whitechapel, The Acacia Strain, DMX) to collaborations (The Breathing Process, Brojob, Chazinem) as well as  his own material. His latest offering is a triple threat with instrumental versions of a pair of cuts to bring home the bacon…

A nightmarish vision in Blackened Symphonic Deathcore, opening cut “No Heaven, No Hell” finds Schneider reaching Slam vocal hights during the savage throat splitting verses, separating passages of violently turbulent chugged guitars with eerie electronics. Surprisingly catchy as well as being brutally heavy, it’s a cut that keeps punching in punishing fashion, the horror theme aesthetic running through it working incredibly well. It may not be Lorna Shore but there are some moments vocally which do hit those Will Ramos levels of insanity and leave you wondering what you’ve just heard.

For those not in the know, “Ghoul” was originally released on the 2019 EP “Fear In Fiction” that was hacked by malware and forced to be released prematurely unfinished. “Rebirth Of Ghoul” is a remake and rewrite of that cut adding in Cole Odom of Ov Ruin and Matt Brown of Demon King. Brought up to date four years on this cut has roots in the 2008 My Space Deathcore sound with riffs that lean more into Death Metal and that virtuoso solo from Odom is as flamboyant as they come. It this was on the soundtrack to a horror film about vampires and bloodlust it would be right at home, the eerie instrumental moments of programming between the bursts of riffage and violent vocals ensuring it fits together with the opening cut… like a glove on the hand of a serial killer.

Having been released as a single thirteen months ago “Bile” is the only track not to feature a guest appearance on it and remains a Technical Deathcore ripper from start to finish. A six string bass gives it a powerful low end, some DJent fuelled riffage and huge drops do the damage and while some multi instrumentalists are a jack of all trades and a master of none, he seems to have perfected the art of everything. Rap screams, gang chants, vicious uncleans, it’s all here with an impressive balance with moments of haunting respite interwoven into its very fabric. A Dawn of the Dead sample is fittingly placed before some blood gargling vocals and a low and slow final breakdown… the instrumentals are interesting because some of their nuance is lost with the wow factor of the vocals. That makes them a fitting accompaniment especially with the samples left in place, the only question being why “Bile” isn’t in that form on the EP.

Track Listing

1. No Heaven, No Hell (ft. Casey Needler of Clockwise)
2. Rebirth Of Ghoul (ft. Cole Odom of Ov Ruin and Matt Brown of Demon King)
3. Bile
4. No Heaven, No Hell (Instrumental)
5. Rebirth Of Ghoul (Instrumental)

“Summer Of Slam” by Sammy SlamDance is out 31st May 2024