Review: “Shadow” by Reflections

After Reflections brought their 7 string brand of drop F tuned Progressive Metalcore with DJentisms to the table with studio album number four, in the form of the soul crushing “Willow“ in February 2020, things began to change. The band that had brought us “The Color Clear” had disappeared into the vortex to be replaced by something darker and more mysterious. A string of redux releases and single tracks have followed, each one painting an ever bleaker picture and leaving us wondering just how far they could push their boundaries. Their descent into the void of oblivion has found them moving in Thall circles, something which has no doubt lead to this, a collaboration between Reflections vocalist Jake Wolf and Vildhjarta guitarist Calle Thomer. Mixed and mastered by Buster Odeholm (Humanity’s Last Breath, Currents, Thrown) it represents a new chapter that leaves us wondering what the future holds…

A brutally destructive as they come “Omni” hits like a wrecking ball, the ambient programming underpinning everything a distant echo underneath the crushing weight of the DJent driven Progressive Deathcore riffs that bludgeon from the very start. Technical rhythms and staccato punches maintain a consistent flow as the programming twists and contorts, the vocals from Wolf ringing in the ears like a shotgun blast. An animal at the microphone, he rips through the vocals like the Incredible Hulk tearing a telephone directory in half, his performance flowing over the soundscape like lava down the side of an active volcano. His death growls usher in the devastation that is “Deva“, another down tuned slab of concrete that delivers the knock out punch with spine juddering angular guitars that make Stan Winston’s Predator look like a kids toy. Bouncy rhythms and strange time signatured drum patterns make way for an eerie clean sung moment before fleeting ambience and whispers send a chill down the spine. A wave of crushing poly-rhymical battery surfaces to nauseating effect, providing a punishment beating the likes of which you’ve never heard before. Gripping the pillow tight “Anhedonia” takes shape with a more emotively tinged vocal pattern, blending introspection with distorted riffs from thick gauged strings played by calloused hands. A false ending is expertly executed before a spoken word verse, ethereal female vocals over crushing guitars dragging you kicking and screaming into a black hole. As the dust settles you may find yourself wondering if between them they can conjure a full length because what lurks in the shadow is disturbing… [8/10]

Track Listing

  1. Omni
  2. Deva
  3. Anhedonia

Shadow” by Reflections is out 29th November 2024 and is available over at bandcamp

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