REVIEW: Shivers – Shivers [2014]
Band: Shivers
Album: Shivers
Preview/purchase: Bandcamp
I’m sure you experienced it a few times; that cold chill running down your spine when the right song comes on, or in some cases a whole album. Music is addicting like that but like most addicting things you always demand more. It’s common practice for metal bands to be heavier than the band that preceded it in order to achieve this feeling of epicness. Hailing from the heart of Russia comes the next definition of heavy, and it’s not just another chill. Just when you thought the winter season was over, the appropriately named Shivers takes the stage with their monstrous self titled debut and it’s cold enough to blast this world into a new ice age. Dressing warm won’t do you much good either, since the pressuring bass drops will just liquify your bones anyway. You are not ready for this; Shivers will nail you to the ground and steamroll you into a bloody puddle.
When listening to Shivers it becomes clear that these gentlemen know what they like in music; down-tempo bass drops, hardcore screams, groovy guitar shredding, thundering percussions and a thick layer of raw anger to finish it all off. This lovely style of down-tempo hardcore/deathcore saw a rise in popularity last year but this album might be the most unforgiving effort yet.
When the relatively slow hitting intro song fades out into the second song, the speed and aggression greatly increases. From this point on Shivers keeps the pressure on at all times, giving you little to no space to breathe. Choosing a favorite song is literally impossible for me since every song is simply perfect, there is just SO much glorious beatdown filth going on! Vocalist Denis Shalnykh spares no expense at exposing you to the full extent of his wrath, expect to be treated to fan favorites such as volatile hardcore screams and nasty ass death growls. To add even more fuel to the flesh-melting fire, Shivers features two guest vocalists: Devin Sockwell of Feign and Jordan LeGore of xKINGx. Both gentlemen give a worthy contribution to the black mass of calamity pouring out your speakers, basically the whole thing is a massive fuckfest of pissed-as-fuck screamers coming at your throat. The playtime is not too long, barely reaching 16 minutes, however the replayability more than makes up for that. Shivers has that extra strong flavor of pure destructive bliss that makes the listener come back for more, again and again.
Since the release of the first single I have been eagerly awaiting the final product, I’m happy to say that it does not disappoint. Other bands can use Shivers as an example; THIS is how it’s fucking done! More goodness from this band is already in the making so there is still plenty of hate-filled brutality to look forward to. Don’t be a fool and let this EP of the Year contender slip, it’s one of the nastiest albums you’ll hear in 2014.
Rating: 11/10
For fans of: Traitors, Feign, Black Tongue, Immoralist, The Acacia Strain, Demolisher, Genocide District, Overthrower
