CATALEPSY

The deathcore express rolls on. There might be a few bells here and a couple of whistles there, but most bands playing a style that has divided the purists from the genre-splitting loyalists sticks to what got it to the dance: super down-tuned chugging guitars, growl 'n scream vocals, and breakdowns galore. CATALEPSY's "Bleed" is no major departure from the blueprint, but the bells and whistles involved do make it a respectable representative and surely an album that will find devoted fans karate-kicking and smiling all the way through it.

The question comes down to whether "Bleed" will appeal to anyone outside of the established deathcore fan base. The short answer is "probably not", which doesn't mean that "Bleed" doesn't have value as a heavy music release (and heavy it most definitely is),only that in maddeningly vague and uninformative terms "it is what it is." However, CATALEPSY shows maturity in songwriting and there isn't anything that is patently sub-par here. While some of the same things that have plagued other deathcore releases (mainly song interchangeability) are present on the album, the thoughtful integration of industrial/electronic elements and a little compositional variation works to begin breaking from protocol. That includes the occasional MESHUGGAH nod on songs like the title track, though CATALEPSY in no black sheep amidst what has been an explosion of 'core acts borrowing from the Swedes. Setting aside the typical deathcore characteristics (you know them well) of the disc, several cuts show the group paying more attention to individual track identity. The last three songs are most worthy of note in this regard. "Consumed", "Medusa", and "Vexation" stand apart for tuneful effectiveness, skillful atmospheric blends, and overall a sound approach to arrangement. Opening track "Faithless" is a keeper as well.

That's about the size of it. A little better than the standard deathcore release, "Bleed" is still not destined to pull legions of new fans into its camp. Deathcore fans will however find no fault with what is an otherwise decent release and undeniably brutal release.