Deadfall

Djent is an onomatopoeia for the palm-muted guitar chord popularized by Meshuggah, and current proponents of the djent metal subgenre include TesseracT, the Acacia Strain and now Deadfall. Not to be confused with either the UK thrash or the Bay Area hardcore bands sharing the same moniker, this Worcester, MA-based group are helmed by Berklee grad Eddie Kim (guitars and drum programming). New Light is the band's debut EP and its five songs display remarkable talent that shouldn't come from only two musicians: Kim and bassist Sean Dusoe. The most astonishing aspect is that Deadfall's metal strain has no vocals, yet the music is so compelling without them that one might wonder what kind of vocals would, or furthermore could, work here. "Shades of Inception" and the Animal as Leaders-like title track are rife with throbbing chordage, precision drumming that doesn't sound artificial and moody guitar synths as vibrant backdrops. "The Divergence" takes a gentler path, melding the quieter moments from Mindrot with dashes of jazzy swing from Atheist. "In Death's Path" smacks of Meshuggah's influence, with snarling riffs, King Crimson-esque fingering and machinegun-like kick drum rolls. The tonal quality of "New Utopia" nods to U2's the Edge, giving Kim ample room to stretch out with poignant chord progressions that bask in Cynic-al guitar washes. New Light is just that, calling necessary attention to this DIY release, though Deadfall surely will not stay unsigned for long.