REVIEW: Within Destruction - Yōkai [2020]
Artist: Within Destruction
Album: Yōkai
The darkestcorners of your mind come to life as the sun sinks below the horizon. Thingsgrow bleak, dominated by shadow. The voices grow louder—as they’re never trulysilent—and command eerie, dark and evil things. Kill someone. Kill anyone.Kill yourself. The shadows that snapped to life moments ago now move—spirits,If you will—guiding your every move. These spirits, shadows, demons, creatures—whateveryou want to call them—have different names depending on culture and ethnicity.For instance, the Japanese refer to them or “it” as Yōkai—and with the abundantaggressive and evil atmosphere in Within Destruction’s third studio record, it’ssafe to say that Yōkai is a very solid name. Expanding from theirprevious niche of slamming deathcore, Within Destruction have crafted one ofthe most diverse deathcore records in recent history, using an abundance ofurban, Japanese, hip-hop and metal culture to give each song on Yōkai aunique sound and style. Fear not—there are still countless moments of barbaric,slam-tinted brutality—but above and beyond that, Within Destruction havecreated a sprawling, genre-spanning heavy record that features something foreveryone between spastic slams, lacerating blast-beats, ruthless bars and explosivebeats.
Now, Yōkai isa blanket term referring to a broad variety of spirits, monsters, demons andsprites; not all of them are inherently evil. With that said, WithinDestruction’s Yōkai is pretty damn wicked. Sitting soundly between ahalf-hour and a full 60 minutes, the band’s third full length release is amarked departure rom Void and D E A T H W I S H. Focusing less onabsurd slamming elements and over the top brutality and more on songs thatstride the line between crushing and catchy, Yōkai is a masterful displayof diversity if nothing else. Starting with the impressive, anthemic titletrack, Within Destruction readily remind the listener they haven’t lost theirpenchant for punchy heaviness. Percussionist Luka Vezzosi dominates throughout,with songs like “Backstab” and “Kings of Darkness” reminding the listener ofthe unfathomable speed and intensity he’scapable of, while songs like “Yōkai” and “Hate Me” see Vezzosi using bouncy,catchy drumming as a foundation for some of the record’s less “slamming” and pop,hip-hop-infused-deathcore elements. “Harakiri” is another example—here withVezzosi’s drumming riding a smooth segue into an eerie lo-fi beat to the tiethe track together. Where some songs—like “Backstab” and “Harakiri”—see Vezzosi’sdrumming take center stage, others (such as “Judgement,” “No Way Out” and “Yōkai”)see the band’s fretwork dominate, using metallic riffs as a backbone for scathing,brutalizing leads and grisly grooves alike. Yes—the band still slams—take “Judgement”as evidence of that (or “Kings of Darkness” for that matter), but they alsooscillate between over-the-top slams and nostalgic breakdowns, with moments of “Alone”sounding particularly early-2010s. Meanwhile, “B4NGB4NG!!” may as well be fromthe future, with leads working side-by-side with bass-heavy beats and intenseelectronic effects to bombard the listener with a near-sensory overload before dashingtheir brains out with a robust rap-laced breakdown. Worth mentioning is alsothe penultimate track of Yōkai, featuring work from guitarist JasonRichardson (Born of Osiris, etc). Richardson’s work on this track adds yet anotherdimension to Within Destruction, capturing immense technicality and making it flowwell with the band’s futuristic, distinctly Japanese theme. The picture here isone of diversity, with Within Destruction refusing to make the same song twice—ahard feat for any heavy band these days.
A mainstay ofWithin Destruction has always been their frontman, Rok Rupnik. Rupnik’s vocalprowess is sprawling and spans a multitude of styles and influences—this hasnever been more apparent as it is on Yōkai. With intriguing guestvocalists complementing a stellar vocal performance, Rupnik’s work—especially throughoutthe middle run of the record, is incredible. “Judgement” sees Rupnik’s range takingcenter stage, while “Harakiri” sees him working with rapper Bill $aber tocreate something melancholic, moody and brooding. A stark contrast to theenergetic display of hip-hop on “B4NGB4NG!!,” where Rupnik weaves in and outbetween two guest rappers. The abundance of guests, surprisingly, does notdetract from Rupnik’s skill, with many of the songs comprising the middle ofthe record ensuring the listener that even in spite of a less “brootal”approach, Rupnik’s range—including registers found in the annals of slammingdeathcore and death metal—is still up-to-par. Consistent and creativethroughout, Rupnik’s finest work lies on Yōkai, bar none.
Nothing about Yōkaiis really what the listener expected from a band whose notoriety within theheavy music scene exploded over a period of months. Adopting a profoundappreciation for pan-Asian imagery, design and influence, Within Destructionhave created a record that blends elements from poppier genres into a backboneof brutalizing deathcore—and more impressively, does it well. While Yōkaiisn’t for everyone—some will undoubtedly call it corny—there is no denying thediversity throughout the record, and in such diversity, there are sure to betracks that even the most stringent heavy music critics will find themselves boppin’to. Heavy, fun and unique, Within Destruction continue to branch out and expandtheir roots, drawing from new influences to make something engaging andthoroughly entertaining.
9/10
For Fans Of: Signs of the Swarm, Bodysnatcher, To the Grave,Acrania
By: Connor Welsh