REVIEW: Existence Has Failed – Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World [EP/2015]
Artist: Existence Has Failed
Album: Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World
There is a killswitch built into the crust of our planet, linked directly to its seething magma core. With a single flick, the ice caps deteriorate, seas will rise and volcanoes erupt–what isn’t condemned to a salty grave will drown in pools of molten hate. For years the location of Earth’s killswitch remained unknown–as its keepers kept it safe and tucked away from the unknowing masses; however, those days are done. With the debut release from the furious Floridian five piece Existence Has Failed, the world is no longer safe, and mankind is condemned to extermination. Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World is Earth’s self-destruct button: the death knell for humanity, as it is 20 minutes of boundless brutality and limitless aggression that combined slamming, sinister death metal with down-tempo deathcore in a manner so punctual and punishing that it will shake the heavy music community to its very core.
Instrumentally, Existence Has Failed is an apocalyptic amalgamation of slam, deathcore and down-tempo hardcore that is perfectly rationed and mixed to pierce through the listener’s skull like a bullet through thin air. Brandon Kaminsky delivers a solid percussive backbone that ranges from skin-shredding, fill-heavy blast beats to brutalizing breakdowns that feel like someone is dragging knives along the listener’s spine. Each track on the band’s debut EP is lengthy and full-bodied, allowing Kaminsky to expertly dictate the flow and energy as gems like “Ascension” roam from writhing, bass-heavy grooviness to blitzing speed and bone-snapping aggression. Portions like the introduction to “Ascension” showcase an important aspect of Existence Has Failed’s excruciatingly heavy dynamic–the interplay between Kaminsky’s percussion and the furiously fretted riffs and grooves of guitarists Brandon Mizrahi and Frankie Cilella. Mizrahi and Cilella are simply brilliant in their ability to take whatever percussive canvas Kaminsky provides and work it into a deathcore masterpiece. “Ruthless Mutilation” sees the trio embracing their slam influences, crushing and carving away with meaty, chunky riffs and machine-gun blast beats–which halt out of nowhere to deliver a series of prolapse-inducing breakdowns that slam the listener like a semi-truck. This dynamic is amplified with the addition of bassist Tyler Dumais. Dumais takes what would otherwise be just “heavy” and makes it devastating–those who need convincing need look no further than the immense climax to “Human Eradication.” This track is Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World at its tightest and heaviest, as Dumais dictates the collapse of the song structure from anthemic, immense death metal to skin-eating, soul-shredding brutality the likes of which would make Ingested blush.
As Existence Has Failed’s instrumentation is intense enough to bring about the end of days all on its own, it’s no wonder the band’s debut is easily considered cataclysmic with the addition of vocalist Oscar Ledesma. Ledesma is ludicrously talented, matching Tyler Shelton’s brutalizing, blistering gutturals on “Severance of Civilization” and hitting highs alongside Brian Long on “Ruthless Mutilation.” Ledesma’s incredible range is the perfect “cherry” to top Existence Has Failed’s immense, eviscerating ice cream sundae of brutal Deathcore magnificence. Not only does the EP feature an incredible array of guest vocalists, but it shows Ledesma working effortlessly alongside each of them–which is especially breathtaking during Dan Watson’s demonic delivery at the closing portion of “Human Eradication.”
Full, epic tracks, cutthroat musicianship and immense vocal prowess: what more could any fan of heavy music want? While Existence Has Failed stay soundly within their comfort zone of crushing lethality throughout Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World, that doesn’t stop their debut release from being an incredible offering to the deities of heavy music. Packed with sinister slams, mind-numbingly technical percussion and rife with raunchy and visceral vocals, this EP is an immersive experience that will keep even Deathcore skeptics engaged. The bastard child of Ingested, Traitors and Thy Art is Murder, Dreadful Eruption from an Unknown World is Armageddon in an EP: a world-ending offering that will have fans of heavy music on every corner of every continent heralding the end of days.
9/10
For Fans Of: Ingested, Beacons, Wicked World, Signal the Firing Squad, Martyr Defiled
By: Connor Welsh
