Shai Hulud/Another Victim

It's not like Florida's Shai Hulud need to keep being part of split CDs with bands who are far less calibre then they, but they do. Their melodic, emo-tinged metalcore appears to be getting more melodic and more emo-tinged, although it's hard to say based on a single track ("Set Your Body Ablaze"), but it's a damn good track. Line-up overhauls and temporary drummers have not appeared to have any negative impact. Their choice of covers - Bad Religion and NOFX - is neither here nor there, as both tracks are given an intense dual guitar overhaul and could fit in alongside any other Shai Hulud song. Another Victim are another one of those bands who will go on about how hardcore they are, but in actuality, are more metal than most metal bands. There's a definite mid-'90s Slayer and Carcass feel to their two offerings. The songs are dripping with chugging guitars, drum plundering and untrained vocal abuse. They're a perfectly adequate metalcore band, but really suffer when placed side-by-side with Shai Hulud's original approach to songwriting.