Here's one of those CD's that you really, really want to like, and part of you really, really will, but there will be a nagging sense that you've been down this road before. Inside the Machine is the Metal Blade debut for Sweden's This Ending, formerly known as A Canorous Quintet with a slightly different line-up. Overall these Swedes know how to churn out precision melodic death metal with lots of thrash influences, so expect deadly growls, rapid fire drum blasts, and technical guitar work. While listening to Inside the Machine, bands like Dark Tranquility, Callenish Circle, In Flames, Amon Amarth, Meshuggah, and At the Gates instantly come to mind, giving these songs that sort of "been there, done that" feel. But hold on, after repeated spins, you actually start to really recognize the talent that these guys have. "Plague Angel" contains no shortage of melodic guitar leads and fills, in addition to some healthy death growls and pummeling riffs, all making for a head banging treat. The swirling riffs of "Lidless Eyes" and the rampaging blasts of "Seeds of Destruction" are also impossible to ignore, and wait till you hear the sledgehammer tempo of "Armageddon", a brutal piece that contains plenty of black metal styled blast beats and evil vocal screams.
In the end, dispite some obvious comparisons, there's plenty to dig into here on Inside the Machine. Brutal riffs, extreme vocals, technical arrangements, and relentless drumming, and memorable melodies, all elements of a solid death metal album. Give This Ending a 3 for originality, and a 4 for execution. It should be interesting to watch these guys over the next few years, and with a label like Metal Blade behind them, who knows how far they can go.
Track Listing
- Seed of Destruction
- Inside the Machine
- Pitch Black
- Plague Angel
- Lidless Eyes
- Armageddon
- Nailed Down
- Let the World Burn
- Into Pain
- This Ending
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