Deathcore Newcomers Peacemaker Erupt into the Scene with “Cease to Exist” [2024]
Artist: Peacemaker
If you’re like me, you grew up—or at least got into heavy music—in what many people would consider to be Deathcore’s “prime.” Whitechapel had yet to go arena metal, Annotations of an Autopsy had the entire scene hooked on fluorescent green foil impact font shirts, and songs were rife with gang-chants, blistering breakdowns and pop-culture references in practically equal amounts. And if you’re like me, you’re ecstatic at the notion that it seems to be coming back in a big way. With the advent of artists like Tracheotomy, Murder Afloat, Psycho-Frame and new releases from genre giants like Oceano on the horizon, the deathcore we know and love is here to say its far from dead—and the latest entry in the swelling wave of throwback-tinted heaviness is none other than Peacemaker with their debut single, “Cease to Exist.”
“Cease to Exist” is a brief but comprehensive lesson in deathcore 101. Starting with a skin-peeling salvo of blast beats that quickly dives into a relentless breakdown at the drop of a hat (er, movie sample), Peacemaker prove that, contrary to their name, they came to incite nothing but violence. The song is further defined by a stellar vocal performance (bolstered by 9 Dead’s Blake Kinnamon) as shrill screams and gurgling gutturals guide the listener through a breakdown after breakdown without mercy or remorse, with sweeps and mach-speed percussion keeping the song cohesive and engaging. With the simply stunning array of deathcore tactics used throughout the song, it should come as no surprise that the song’s production and mastering is courtesy of Hunter Young and Brandan Lopez at Swamp Sound—in the event you had any doubts.
Peacemaker’s first track is a stunning nosedive into heavy music, and a one-stop-shop for all of the deathcore styles, tactics and gimmicks the listener could possibly want. What’s more is that it serves as only the jumping-off point for what the band have to offer, with an EP in the coming months and more to come beyond that.
By: Connor Welsh
