Brand of Sacrifice

God Hand

BY Max MorinPublished Jul 5, 2019

9
Toronto own deathcore kings Brand of Sacrifice return with their first full-length LP, the followup to 2018's The Interstice EP. While that record demolished expectations and earned Brand of Sacrifice a spot on this year's coveted Summer Slaughter festival bill, God Hand manages somehow to raise the bar. Slow down boys — at this rate you'll be on the Billboard charts before you know it.
 
Brand of Sacrifice's influences are firmly in the hardcore camp, but vary besides that. There's electronically-infused tracks like "Charlotte" and "Claw Marks," which showcase the sitar synth tendencies BoS displayed on The Interstice, as well as Born of Osiris's djent flavour.
 
The biggest influences, Carnifex and Job for a Cowboy, loom largest through the album's constant pig squeals and breakdowns loud enough to crack concrete foundations. The title track, "God Hand," gets into bouncy nu territory, but is still heavy enough to be called one of the album's best tracks. Things could stand to be a tad more original next time around, but Brand of Sacrifice are already on the level of their countrymen Despised Icon in terms of sheer crushing brutality.
 
Deathcore fans who missed out on Brand of Sacrifice's first round better get on board this time. God Hand is absolutely top-tier and deserves every bit of attention it's getting. Between BoS, Tomb Mold and Six of Swords, Toronto seems to be on the cusp of a extreme metal renaissance.
(Unique Leader)

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