CHELSEA GRIN

This is not good. Though deathcore has become the new "nu metal" to the traditionalist head banger, there are bands out there that that do it quite well and that write music with an ear toward the maintenance of aggression without any sacrifice of suitable songwriting dynamics. Utah's CHELSEA GRIN is not one of those bands. "Desolation of Eden" is an example of by-the-numbers deathcore that is detrimental to any potential for songwriting excitement.

If you must know, "a 'Chelsea Grin' in soccer hooligan terminology is the act of cutting a rival's mouth with either a credit card or blade and then kicking them in the crotch so their mouth muscles split into a bloody grimace". After time spent with "Desolation of Eden", you'll wish that statement was not the most interesting aspect of the album. In the interest of fair play and critical diplomacy, as if that really mattered or even existed, the stutter-chunk and down-tuned stop, start, and bounce will appeal to an unexplainably large contingent of adolescent mall hoppers that yearn to be associated with the word "brutal". Sarcasm aside (well, kind of),the production is fat and heavy (it was recorded at Lambesis studio),the substantial hardcore element will sustain the karate kickers and "brootal" hoodie boys for a good 40-minutes of pit action, so much so as to serve as a natural substitute for the Ritalin-prescribed; the bursts of Americanized Swede/melo death approach mediocre, and the grim atmosphere created through juxtaposition of eerie guitar melodies that hover over the sub-sonic, rumbling bludgeon are minimally moving and occasionally notable. Instrumental "Elysium", by far the most predominantly melodic piece on the album, is decent, if for no other reason than it breaks up the monotony.

Indeed, if the instrumental is the highlight of your album, then you've got much bigger problems to address. Do not be misled; this review is not indicative of an anti-deathcore bias, not even close. As I stated, there is plenty of it out there that delivers a satisfying kick to the teeth and remains in the brain for a period longer than is typically the case for the ADHD-afflicted. "Desolation of Eden" is simply forgettable deathcore to the nth degree.