Through the Eyes of the Dead
Malice
Prosthetic
Through the Eyes of the Dead take The Leap on their sophomore slaughterhouse
We always wish it would happen, but these days, it doesn’t happen enough: A young band, whose debut album had the chops but lacked an identity, elevates their game on the follow-up to the point where we’re left thinking, Hell, maybe these guys were worthy of the hype after all.
Nearly two years after the release of Bloodlust, the Through the Eyes of the Dead we hear are miles removed from the band that made it next to impossible for us to tell the difference between them and the Black Dahlia Murder at Sounds of the Underground. Two crucial moves were made, one up front and one behind the scenes, which—coupled with a tour-tightened sound—have made for a shockingly enjoyable second album.
Former vocalist Anthony Gunnels provided a screech on Bloodlust that was layered to the point of sounding mechanical. His replacement, former Premonitions of War vocalist Nate Johnson, on the other hand, brings a far more utilitarian, not to mention muscular, classic death metal approach that goes perfectly with the band’s current musical direction, as the South Carolina quintet has started to ditch the repetitive melodic death/metalcore histrionics in favor of something altogether more crushing.
And who better to help complete the metamorphosis from redundant-sounding also-rans to solid American metal contenders than Erik Rutan? Not only is the former Morbid Angel guitarist/current Hate Eternal leader the foremost death metal producer today, but his presence alone on Malice lends it instant credibility. If there’s one dude who we can trust to weed out the false metal, it’s Rutan, and he puts the band through their paces, ensuring a more focused approach (breakdowns still sporadically appear, but are far from lazy rehashes), the massive sound rendering Bloodlust lifeless and tepid by comparison. When you’re working with the man who got Cannibal Corpse and Vital Remains to create their finest albums in years, you had damn well better step up, and to their credit, Through the Eyes of the Dead do.
“Failure in the Flesh” is propelled by a contagious central riff that hints at Metallica’s “Blackened,” as Johnson articulates the futility of his country’s War on Terror: “Day by day we cleanse the world of evil / Yet the blood is still on our hands.” Guitarists Justin Longshore and Chris Anderson prove their (death) mettle throughout the record, unleashing ace dual harmony solos on “The Undead Parade” and the title track, while “To the Ruins” rips a page from Behemoth’s blackened death playbook, incorporating sustained melodies atop Josh Kulick’s blast beats. Ranging from the mid-paced Bolt Thrower power of “As Good as Dead” to the blinding rage of “Pull the Trigger,” the disciplined, cannonading Malice has this band finding its sound at last. Our little band’s all grows up. —Adrien Begrand
