Opposition of One

If this uninspired rehashing of every last mosh-oriented metalcore cliché in the book doesn’t put you to sleep, nothing will. Opposition of One waste no time establishing their lack of songwriting skills and by the umpteenth appearance of the testosterone choir, any discriminating genre buff’s patience has been thoroughly worn through. The frequent breakdowns are lacking any impact, mainly due to the almost complete lack of double bass syncopation and the poor enunciated lyrics — mosh parts can hit like a ton of bricks if the sentiment behind them is delivered clearly and forcefully. In addition to these detrimental attributes, the group occasionally reads explanations of their lyrical content over mediocre electronics and sampling before the track begins, leaving the listener amazed at just how condescending a low-grade tough guy band can be. The massive success of groups like Hatebreed and Terror has left its mark, and the floodgates have clearly been opened to legions of progressively less interesting imitations.