WRETCHED

It seems like I just reviewed a WRETCHED album. As it turns out, it was toward the end of 2009 when the North Carolina band released "The Exodus of Autonomy", an album that was little more than deathcore/modern death metal mediocrity. It was heavy, chunky, and basically just tolerable. Things have really changed with "Beyond the Gate", an improvement that is even more surprising since it follows so closely behind the debut. The sophomore effort doesn't stand head and shoulders from the hordes of tech-y modern death metal acts that have released similar albums, but it is a vast improvement and sure as hell tops "The Exodus of Autonomy".

Most 'core remnants have been left behind in favor of dynamic song structuring and some outstanding, even neoclassical, guitar work that honest to goodness shares some similarities with the classy shred of DECREPIT BIRTH. The fundamentals of locked-down drum and riff patterns and stop/start chunk remain, but it is the development of melody that is actually catchy and the accomplished soloing of Steven Funderburk and John Vail that sets this one well apart from its predecessor. In addition to the use of flavoring (e.g. the Eastern licks on "Cimmerian Shamballa", the Spanish guitar to end "Birthing Sloth", etc),the tunefulness of standouts like "A Still Mantra" are epic and memorable. That's a sizeable leap, folks.

On top of all that, this is a concept album with lyrics written by vocalist Billy Owens that concern "an alchemist named Sylvester Alédoe who successfully opens the portal to which he thinks is the alternate world known as Shamballa". There is more to it than that, but you get the idea. Add to that a beautiful two-minute orchestral track called "On the Horizon" written by guitarist John Vail and performed by the University of South Carolina Symphony Orchestra and one can hear with clarity that the doors of potential have been thrust open. The attention to detail that went into the arrangements on "Beyond the Gate" is obvious and pays pretty big dividends. I'm pleasantly surprised. Well done, men.