REVIEW: Babirusa - Humanoid [2020]

Artist: Babirusa

Album: Humanoid

            Humanity isan interesting, abstract and ultimately frail thing. Superficially, humanity isa series of neurologic and anatomic developments that give rise to higherlevels of thought, conscience and function—the ability to act autonomously,recognize consequences for actions, use thumbs, whatever—it can ultimately bepared down to some neurons and opposable fifth digits. On a more detailedexamination, however, humanity buckles under scrutiny. What is it that reallymakes someone human? What if a truth that we’ve held as uniform for so long—thenotion that humanity is the “ultimate” stage in a series of evolutions—isn’ttrue at all. What If there’s something else? What if it’s right under ournoses? This question sets the stage for the immense, intellectual andimmolating conceptual release by deathcore juggernauts Babirusa. PureAustralian aggression, Babirusa’s Humanoid blends elements oftechnicality into a backbone of murderous brutality, using everything fromscathing riffs to blistering breakdowns in an effort to beat the listener intodust. What’s more is that while doing so, Humanoid tells a somewhat TheMatrix-esque tale of an individual inoculated into a parallel universecrafted and run by Artificial Intelligence—an immersive framework that makes Babirusamore than just another throwback-style turn-of-the-decade deathcore band.

            Needless tosay, I’ve never found myself immersed in a universe run by conscious robots—butif I were to imagine what it might be like to be “plugged in,” I’d imagine itwould be an awful lot like the kickstart to Humanoid. From the openingsalvo of “343” into “Desolation System,” the instrumental onslaught Babirusaprovide is nothing short of terrifying. Percussionist Rangi Barnes (I,Valiance, Gouge, Tomb of Doom) is a human onslaught behind the kit, oscillatinghither and to between lacerating blast beats and bone-crushing breakdowns. Eventhe instrumental album closer, “ZEROHOUR” is a stark display of skill, as hisprecision and power shine through in Humanoid’s live-drum foundation.Atop Barnes’ brutality soars fretwork from guitarists Tate Senhenn and DeanWhite. Senhenn and White’s technical prowess gives songs like “Catatonia” and“Abomination” elements of skin-peeling technical deathcore, while “PendulumSwing” and “Desolation System” are more raunchy displays of the duo’s abilityto craft dissonant grooves that segue smoothly into soul-smothering bouts ofslam-tinted aggression. “Desolation System” is an outstanding example, as amatter of fact, of the band blending their more technical elements with some“good ol deathcore.” Here, Senhenn and White’s ruthless leads play remarkablyoff of Barnes’ breakneck percussion, not skipping a beat when it comes time todrop into dismal displays of downtuned depravity. As it stands, the trio createdeathcore with a warm, nostalgic vibe still rife with enough modern flair togive it contemporary curb appeal.

            Where Babirusa’sinstrumentation alone offers compelling enough a reason to give Humanoida chance, the band’s biggest selling point is yet to be detailed—the dynamicduo that serves as the band’s vocal element. Frontmen Kyle Williams and RheesePeters (yes, that Rheese Peters) spearhead the band’s vicious vocal onslaughton the listener. With nine of the ten tracks featuring some ferocious, furiousand oppressive monsoon of murderously intense screams, bellows and shrieks, Humanoidis a juggernaut. Where it would be journalistically “precise” to point out thesongs on Humanoid that truly shine when it comes to the duo’s vocaltalents, the truth is that the whole thing does. Peters—well known for his workin Australia’s jam-packed deathcore scene already—and Williams—a relative newcomer—bothdominate throughout the record’s duration. Just about every song features somevocal element to latch on to, be it impressive speed “Resistor” or simplyinsane range (“Abomination,” and others).

            Humanoidis a crushing deathcore release that could just as easily be from 2009 as itcould be from 2020. With just as much ability to use nostalgia as means to lullthe listener in as contemporary, crushing (but rough-around-the-edges)production, Babirusa have birthed a brutalizing display of deathcore thatshines in the context of its peers, but also in the context of the genre as awhole.

9/10

For Fans Of: A Night in Texas, I Shot the Sheriff, As BloodRuns Black, Rings of Saturn

By: Connor Welsh