Open Kasket – Trials of Failure Review

By Kenstrosity

I’m a huge fan of picking up bands with little to no back catalog for review. Firstly, I’m notorious for overbooking myself in general life, which leaves only the most precious time slots for researching discographies. Secondly, I get to experience a band at their freshest with a mind unclouded by hype or expectation. Thirdly, I get to take full credit for exposing X or Y band to the greater AMG populace, which increases my POWERS. Enter Little Rock, Arkansas’ death metal/hardcore quintet Open Kasket and their debut record Trials of Failure.

Established a mere three years ago, born of the ashes of the now defunct Omnibane, Open Kasket represents a rebirth of sorts. Where Omnibane boasted a sludge metal sound informed by the hardcore scene, its members experienced a shift in tastes that ultimately led them to this deathly rebranding. With it, Open Kasket offer something more akin to what we hear from Harm’s Way, Glassbone, and Dyscarnate. Meatheaded riffs deliver bludgeoning payloads via the serrated HM-2 sounds we all know and love, fueled by churning attitude and swaggering animosity in that especially injurious persuasion that only the hardcore scene can reliably replicate. Expect snapped necks, splintered spines, and shattered bones to be a regular occurrence as you embark upon these Trials of Failure.

At a tight thirty minutes, Trials of Failure wastes no time beating you into a fine paste. There are exactly three small instances of melody to be found here, all of which occupy brief interstices between stomping chugs and sawing beatdowns. That dead space seems unnecessary in the context of these brutalizing environs, and often takes away momentum and impact from tracks like the otherwise face-caving “Putrid Existence.” On the other hand, ephemeral spasms of silence maximize the pummeling power of those same punch-down motifs which compose the entireties of “Chain Whip (ft. Backbiter)” and “Chemical Death (ft. Zashed),” two of Trials of Failure’s most heavily muscled brutes. This is the cavebrained approach executed throughout Trials of Failure. Get in, wreck shit with mid-paced, chugly riffs, get out and let some other fool call 911. Such a violent formula works wonders for this sound but leaves a fair measure of memorability to be desired as very little variation exists to create dynamic moments of interest. As an additional result of this homogenous songwriting approach, differentiating between numbers becomes increasingly difficult as the album progresses. Consequently, otherwise fun songs “Ersatz (Sin Die),” “Should,” and “Defective” flatten out and threaten recycled material upon the listener.

On the other hand, this offers up opportunities for small flourishes and details to make a big difference. “No Value,” “Internal Threat (ft. Terminal Nation)” and “Ripped Up” all make their mark without changing any major features of Open Kasket’s M.O. Unfortunately, not all of their distinguishing characteristics work for the album’s benefit, either. A bizarre fade-out cheapens the energetic “No Value” by shoving the song away at a premature juncture, making its exit (and “Internal Threat”‘s entry, in turn) awkward. Thankfully, small fumbles like that one aren’t enough to sully the especially venomous “Internal Threat,” and Trials of Failure’s momentum is restored within seconds. “Bruised Sprainsteen” then pushes forward with Open Kasket’s best composition, boasting awesome screamo vox, brutal gurgles, and groovy riffs all packaged inside a hilarious track name, making it one of Trials of Failure’s most memorable items.

While Trials of Failure is far from a perfect record, Open Kasket’s opening salvo offers enjoyable nuggets of muscular, hardcore-informed, occasionally slammy death metal sure to make at least one or two gym playlists. Its high-protein formula guarantees major gains dug deep from within the flesh, and helps its users kick the shit out of puny wimps in any given hardcore pit, should one be provided. Outside of that, Trials of Failure isn’t memorable or compelling enough on its own to stand the test of time. I’m afraid I’ll recover from this particular alleyway curb-stomping quickly enough to make it to work on time tomorrow, and I deserve a better beating than that!

Rating: Mixed
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Barbaric Brutality Records
Websites: openkasket.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/openkaskethc
Releases Worldwide: February 7th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #Backbiter #BarbaricBrutalityRecords #DeathMetal #Dyscarnate #Feb25 #Glassbone #Hardcore #HarmSWay #Omnibane #OpenKasket #Review #Reviews #Slam #TerminalNation #TrialsOfFailure #Zashed

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12 'Must Listen' Albums from the Last Ten Years
The last ten years have seen some truly innovative, kick-ass releases from bands of all genres.

https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/12/26/12-must-listen-albums-from-the-last-ten-years/

#AnAbstractIllusion
#CannibalCorpse
#MorbidAngel
#BlackCrownInitiate
#Suffocation
#DefeatedSanity
#Archspire
#Heilung
#Wormrot
#RiversOfNihil
#Dyscarnate
#RejoiceTheLightHasCome

Massen – Gentle Brutality [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Kenstrosity

If you know me—and most of you should by now—you know that I love bands who fearlessly combine multiple genres into one pot. I want to be blown away by their exploratory vigor, dismissing all pretense of genre loyalty with gusto. Give me something that challenges my advanced ability to categorize and compartmentalize, and you are likely to garner an instant fan. Enter Massen, a Belarusian/German Frankenstein monster who unleashed one of the best records of the year, Gentle Brutality. ENERGY SYSTEM.

Imagine, if you would, what would happen if you smashed together Anaal Nathrakh‘s grindy, hooky extremity with Harm’s Way‘s and Dyscarnate‘s chunkiness, then dressed the result in a warm Silent Stream of Godless Elegy coat. That is essentially what Massen sound like, and let me tell you, it’s brilliant. Of all the things you could merge into one sound, this is one concoction I never expected. Yet, Gentle Brutality is pure magic, brutally heavy and unrelenting while simultaneously exuding a violin-led beauty that lures its audience towards the next indelible hook with unstoppable momentum. ENERGY SYSTEM.

Gentle Brutality’s immensity reveals itself early on in its forty-two minute runtime, with “Energy System” representing possibly the best opening track of 2023. Its ridiculously catchy verses and swaggering riffs are somehow overshadowed by the song’s bridge, featuring eponymous lyrics that I’ve been singing to myself every day, multiple times a day, for four months straight (so far). Then, I have the immense mid-album highlight “Askoma (Sorethroat),” which guarantees several fractures of my vertebrae in ten seconds or less, pounding skulls with the kind of groove that only diagnosed sociopaths have the emotional immunity to resist. Just when I think they can’t inject any more razor sharp hooks into Gentle Brutality, Massen shove another throbbing slab of grinding groove into my face with closer “Our Melody is Not Dead,” wrapping up the record with a resounding bang and leaving me wanting another round. ENERGY SYSTEM.

Immensity notwithstanding, Massen’s musicianship across the board are truly what make Gentle Brutality special. Stealing the show almost every time she features, vocalist and violinist Kara brings power and majesty into every second she gets the spotlight, transforming even the grindiest of Massen’s material into a jig-worthy romp brimming with vitality and emotion (“Corps de Ballet,” “Disgusted,” “Askoma (Sorethroat)”). That’s not to shortchange Alex “Aleerma”‘s numerous contributions as primary death vocalist, guitarist, drummer, keyboardist and bassist. His monstrous roars characterize many of this record’s biggest hooks, and his and fellow guitarists Karymon’s and Eugene’s riffs, leads, and solos provide a palpable sense of force to each of Gentle Brutality’s eight tracks (but especially “Disgusted,” “Askoma (Sorethroat),” “Throwing the Stones,” and “Our Melody is Not Dead”). Even the softer quasi-ballad “Together Alone” succeeds as a result of this group’s collaborative efforts, giving me an excellent bit of belting to practice in the car. ENERGY SYSTEM.

Simply put, Massen are a relentless, unstoppable machine, seemingly incapable of putting a bad song on record. Gentle Brutality proves that beyond a shadow of doubt. No other record in 2023 sounds like it, and few reach the same standard of quality. Gentle Brutality is irresistible, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. ENERGY SYSTEM!

Tracks to Check Out: “ENERGY SYSTEM,” “Askoma (Sore Throat),” “Disgusted,” “Throwing the Stones”

#2023 #AnaalNathrakh #ApostasyRecords #BelarusianMetal #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Deathgrind #Dyscarnate #GentleBrutality #GermanMetal #Grind #Grindcore #Hardcore #HarmSWay #Massen #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SilentStreamOfGodlessElegy #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023

Dyscarnate - With All Their Might

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