TERMINATE DAMNATION

Where I live in my generation, you either listen to mainstream pop hip hop, or extreme metal of all sorts, with very little in between. I was given terminate damnation by a friend in the extreme metal category with a bunch of other modern hardcore albums. This was the only one I liked! The instrumentation is smart, the vocals aren't overly prominent, and the hardcore attitude is completely embedded in every fiber of their music.

Hardcore is usually music played by a bunch of twenty somethings for a bunch of teenagers who want bone crushing music, and 90% of the time it's too out of control, anger for the sake of anger for me, but Becoming the archetype s a little different. I really cant find anything that's sets them apart from most other hardcore bands, except the fact that they really touch me. Their not super technical, they aren't super flambuoyant (like most tech and classic prog metal), they're one of a kind.

On terminate damnation you will go from old school march of the dead organ pieces, straight up metal core, death metal, and seven minute piano interludes... and it's all well executed. I think this group really has a metalcore edge over bands like Between the buried and me simply because you don't have the vocals constantly spitting at you with no end, the vocalist knows when to shut up when it's appropriate, and just let the music play. A very rare trait inside all the core movements. The guitars are tuned to drop C, so you get a very heavy dose of heavy, and most of the time their off doing crazy lead lines together. The drumming isn't Mike Portney pretentious thank God, once again a trait rarely sen in this kind of music. The song compositions are typical of extreme metal, stars heavy, a couple of versus, breakdown, build up end sadly a little too typical, good thing there are songs like elegy to brake up the monotony.

While we're on the subject, Elegy is easily the best song, starting with some incredibly deep grunts, and a sick lead line that will carry on to the LOOONG piano solo, then at the end of the piano hell will break loose again and the triumphant end will come. A great song, and a good representative of their style of hard/metalcore. Four stars.

(you can imagine how disapointed I was with their next album)

'Terminate Damnation' - Becoming The Archetype (7/10)

Despite some less-than-impressive experiences with the band and their music, I decided to seek out the earlier work of the Atlanta metalcore band Becoming The Archetype, having heard the talent and skill audibly evident in their sound. Although I was put off by the overly bombastic shallowness of 'Celestial Completion', looking towards their debut, 'Termiante Damnation' seems like the album I was hoping to hear from this band. Although I am still no fan of the particular melodic metalcore that the band plays, Becoming The Archetype's combination of technicality, diversity and songwriting makes it a wild, yet memorable experience. It is only a shame that the band's output would start going downhill from here for the most part.

Like so many other bands in progressive metal, Becoming The Archetype works the progressive element into their sound by contrasting heavy and light sounds with each other. For instance, it is no surprise here to have a sombre piano interlude be paired up with a crushing breakdown, or vicious shredfest. The dynamic thing rarely gives Becoming The Archetype the semblance of an original act, but the way in which they do this is well worth looking into. Each song is diverse and constantly changing, switching things up even within the constraint of metal. All of this is played with technical precision that goes well beyond the age of the band. For what excellence is here though, Becoming The Archetype are constantly held back by the fact that their sound- yet again- holds very little originality to it, which holds the band back greatly. Moreover, some of the more metalcore leaning elements to the band's formula (such as generic breakdowns) often do not mesh in well with the otherwise very intelligent way the music is composed and played.

Becoming The Archetype is indeed a Christian metal band, but it rarely shines through in the lyrics. While I don't care for the religious aspect of this band- and some in the metal scene may very well blacklist the band immediately because of it- Becoming The Archetype's Christian themes are not overbearing enough to deter from the music, which is very good. The definitive highlight of 'Terminate Damnation' is 'Elegy', a longer piece which climaxes in a stunning piano furnished finale.

A very good debut from Becoming The Archetype overall, although there are even a few issues early on with the band's sound that unfortunately would not be solved with subsequent albums.

"Terminate Damnation" is the debut full-length studio album by US death metal/metalcore act Becoming The Archetype. The album was released through Solid State Records in the US and Abacus Recording in Europe in August 2005.

The music on the album is melodic death metal/metalcore with a progressive edge. The basis in the music shifts from powerful and for the most part melodic death metal sections to metalcore breakdowns and chugging type riffing to more complex progressive parts to softer non distorted/acoustic guitar parts. The vocals vary from growling to more aggressive "core" type raw singing/screaming. The tracks are well composed and because they go through so many sections and moods they are also quite intriguing. Another asset is the fact that Becoming The Archetype are a very well playing act. It´s certainly not audible that this is a debut album. Neither when it comes to the musicianship nor when it comes to the songwriting. The sound production might lack the last bit of bite to push it from great to excellent, but we´re still talking a very well produced album if you enjoy clear metal productions.

I´ve been rather pleasantly surprised by "Terminate Damnation" and while I could have done without some of what I feel are generic sounding metalcore parts, it´s a relatively adventurous album that kept me entertained throughout the 54:26 minutes that it lasts. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.