WALLS OF JERICHO

WALLS OF JERICHO have been at the forefront of metalcore since its inception in the late nineties. They've flirted with the mainstream on larger festival stages, and Corey Taylor produced and guested several times on their 2008 EP "Redemption". Yet they've never exactly burst into mainstream consciousness. They've admirably maintained integrity in spite of the potential they clearly had to compromise themselves toward greater commercial appeal, were they to have tinkered with their sound and image. The Motor City maniacs have been revered, they've continued to make noise on the live front, and they're now closing the longest gap between albums with their first effort since 2016's "No One Can Save You From Yourself". WALLS OF JERICHO is back in a big way with "System Error: Humanity", a potent batch of 15 metallic hardcore songs that attack societal expectations as much as they do the eardrums.

The aptly titled opener "True Til' Death", kicks off with Dustin Schoenhofer's tribal fills across the toms leading to a jagged and full-frontal assault with a subsequent groovy breakdown, marries both the musical integrity the Detroit band have always maintained as well as the album's thematic celebration of bold defiance and self-actualization. The manner in which the song titles unfold across "System Error: Humanity" tells a logically chronological tale that reflects struggle and pain ("Beginning", "The Flame", "Broken Mouths Can't Speak"); adjusting and overcoming through perseverance ("Rise", "Unchained"); delivering justice ("Last Judgment") and finally dropping the hammer of consequence ("The Reckoning").

A couple of cameos are more than just attention-grabbing and marketable. LAMB OF GOD's Randy Blythe adds layers of vocals onto "Broken Mouths Can't Speak" in a way that's congruent with those of front woman Candace Buckingham. And THE RED CHORD's Guy Kozowyk's lion-like roar on "Humanity" significantly augments Candace's vocals that, on their own, strike with the subtlety of a rabid honey badger fighting for its life.

As satisfying as "System Error: Humanity" is, to quote the Sunset Strip glam crew POISON of all bands, every rose has its thorn. In spite of producer Kurt Ballou's (CONVERGE) time-tested, undeniable expertise in the realm of hardcore, his capturing of WALLS OF JERICHO's sonic shards dulls the edges, not immensely but noticeably enough. "System Error: Humanity" isn't likely to be as highly regarded as their early gems "The Bound Feed the Gagged", "A Day and a Thousand Years" or "With Devils Amongst Us All", as there is a slight sense of regurgitation and excessive self-referencing. But with the vibrant colors, nuanced changeups and passionate delivery, WALLS OF JERICHO prove that they have a lot more to say and that they won't stop kicking and screaming any time soon.