Beneath the Massacre

Making a name for themselves through their widely lauded Evidence of Inequity EP and falling somewhat short of expectations with their debut full-length, Beneath the Massacre have finally condensed their hectic, technical brand of deathcore into a formula sustainable for an entire album. Opening with an absolute corker in "Condemned” and never looking back, Dystopia fully succeeds at what Ion Dissonance attempted with the moderately successfully Minus the Herd — reorganizing their sound into a more palatable, mosh-oriented context. As opposed to never-ending tech runs and Necrophagist noodling offset by the occasional thunderous breakdown, the chaotic elements are blended seamlessly with the mosh, often simultaneously. Vocalist Elliott continues to resemble Corpsegrinder, which is certainly not a complaint, in fact, the monotony of the vocals provides the anchor for the overwhelming assault of the rhythm section and guitar playing. While still highly polished, the production is much improved from both of their prior releases, bringing the drums to the forefront and highlighting a fantastic performance. Continuing a long legacy of excellent Montreal death metal, Beneath the Massacre and labelmates Neuraxis are the rightful successors to the thrones long-since vacated by Gorguts and abruptly abandoned by Cryptopsy. This is a year-end shortlist contender.