Genre: Deathcore/Metalcore/Melodic Death Metal
Location: Miami, Florida
EP Year: 2013
Facebook: Here.
Bandcamp: Here.
Echoes of a Nightmare is a Miami, Florida deathcore-fusion band that blends elements of metalcore and melodic death metal to create a full-on assault of droning synths the likes of Winds of Plague, driving guitar riffs and powerful vocals. Their EP “Ashes of Remembrance” was released in late 2013 and has caught the eye of many people over here at total-deathcore. Their aggressive take on mixing genres makes this EP a one-of-a-kind release in today’s bland, boring world of deathcore.
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After a short intro track, the band starts the album with a bang, mixing blast beats with eerie synth to create an ethos of pure brutality on the track “Descending.” Highs mix with crushing lows to create a vocal texture that perfectly complements the impressive solos and rhythm of the guitars. Endless double bass cohesively blends all of these elements to create a highly memorable impression upon first listen.
“My Last Stand” starts off with the same mix of memorable vocal styling and groovy double bass as seen in the previous track. Gang vocals are incorporated in the beginning section to excite the listener. A grimy bass section leads into some beautiful soloing that incorporates some sweeps and impressive finger tapping towards the final moments of the track, only to be revived in a crushing two-step that is defined by the impressive mid-range screams of vocalist Helena Suba before culminating in one final breakdown.
“Voice of the Forsaken” is an extremely impressive track instrumentally: harmonious guitar arrangements carry you throughout the track, padded by a backbone of incredibly fast-paced drums. The melodic instrumental aspects and screams that make the hairs on the back of your neck raise sound like old-school As I Lay Dying tracks. However, the female vocals on this track just did not do it for me. They felt extremely out of place and honestly almost ruined the song.
The final track, “Undying,” is undoubtedly the highlight of the album. Weighing in at an epic 7 minutes and twenty seconds, this track has everything the band has done on the previous tracks, but it is refined to sound extremely sublime. Melodious riffs infect the listener’s brain waves while wide-ranged leads create a polyrhythmic effect. Next, Killswitch Engage-esque cleans come in harmoniously with the fervor of a million pissed off bulls ready to charge into a jewelry store. I really can’t express how incredible this crescendo of textures is, climaxing in an incredible gang vocal section that leads into acoustic guitars and soft, gentle female cleans to end the EP.
This EP overall offers a really diverse listening experience. With some minor tweaks-making the vocals a little more distinguishable during more convoluted sections of some tracks where there is just too much going on, adding in some more tempo changes, and possibly more technicality from the drums as opposed to quickness and blast beats-these guys can really soar to great heights. The band has recently announced preproduction for their next release, so lets all keep these guys in the back of our minds and check out what is to come for these hopeful metal-heads.
Rating: 8/10
For Fans of: As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Breakdown of Sanity, Winds of Plague, Within The Ruins
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