THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE

In at least one sense, THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE are the archetypal deathcore band. Their music has a lot to do with it. Stripped down, unrelenting and brutal, the Pennsylvanians' distinctive take on the genre eschews much of the progressive broadening that has occurred elsewhere and instead focuses on the inherent barbarity of the riffs and the in-your-face hostility of the vocals, with only occasional concessions made to extraneous decoration. Although they have plainly evolved over the years, TLSOL seem more spiritually aligned with the early days of deathcore: a time before the scene began to embrace symphonic grandeur and experimental electronics as credible additions to the formula. Plus, of course, they have continued the grand deathcore tradition of shedding members without losing an ounce of power or their grasp on a strong identity. Guitarist Wyatt McLaughlin is the only remaining member of the band's original lineup at this point, and yet THE LAST SECONDS OF LIFE seem to have dodged the usual pitfalls of lost momentum or a hastily redefined sound. Over the course of their seven albums to date, they have maintained a reputation for smart and uncompromising savagery, becoming one of the genre's most respected bands in the process. Newly signed to the mighty Metal Blade, the quartet are still heading onwards and upwards, safe in the knowledge that, regardless of how many deathcore boxes they tick, they continue to stand apart from the crowd through sheer force of personality.

As vicious and punishing as ever, "The Dead Ones" is the second album TLSOL have made with the current lineup of McLaughlin, vocalist Tyler Beam, bassist Andrew Petway and drummer Dylan Potts. As with 2024's "No Name Graves", these new songs adhere fairly rigidly to the same strain of skull-shattering deathcore that has informed each of its predecessors, but with the most monstrous production the band have been blessed with to date. "The Dead Ones" is ruinously heavy and, again, venomously direct. The opening title track encapsulates the band's studiously maintained sound perfectly: murderous riffs, a largely mid-paced gait, and a vocal performance from Beam that will slam listeners into the middle of next week. Unlike many of their peers, THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE seldom spend much time dabbling in death metal: this is lithe, groove-based violence that will resonate more with fans of SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, than with the more extreme likes of INGESTED and MENTAL CRUELTY. This, incidentally, is not a criticism.

In its sharply proportioned entirety, "The Dead Ones" is an exhilarating assault on the senses. Songs like the snail's-pace slam-a-thon of "Rat Trap" and the fraught, unsettling "1-800 DO YOU WANT TO DIE?" are fat-free and astutely tooled, with peculiar hooks buried deep within the onslaught and a powerfully intimidating atmosphere that emphasizes the band's commanding presence and heavyweight status. There are no attempts to expand upon any musical ideas: the brutality is more than sufficient on its own. Beam's pitilessly intense vocals certainly help too.

If there is a criticism to be levelled here, it is that the lack of variation could be perceived as stemming from a lack of imagination. But such thoughts evaporate when faced with bone-wrenching beatdowns like "Stiletto" and "Corruption Concerto". Not every story needs to be embellished, not every metal band needs diversionary tactics. THE LAST SECONDS OF LIFE keep finding new ways to twist deathcore into new, ugly shapes. They just do it with the minimum of fuss and with a perennial commitment to flattening all-comers with plain and simple brute force. Right now, they do it all as effectively as anyone.