Make Them Suffer ‘Self-Titled’
Have you ever seen music? Like close your eyes and you can see the sounds become images? Make Them Suffer fifth album does just that.
Opener The Warning is a selection of electronic sounds and beats that is the intro to this sci-fi movie soundtrack you will be engrossed in by the time the first minute of second track is done. That second track, Weaponized is an industrial stomper, the beat rocks, the contrasting vocals of Sean Harmanis and Alex Reade battling with each other amid a battery of guitars and drums. I’m out for breath already. Gimme more.
The heart rate increases further when Oscillator, a ferocious storming belter unleashes while an array of arcade games sounds. But we will come to that later as Doomswitch, the fire starter in the bands creative output two years ago which has led to this, point hammers down. Considering it still sounds fresh – and quite rightly the centrepiece of the album – is testament to the band’s alchemy at this point.
The inclusion of Alex Reade is spoken about at length elsewhere however her musicality with keyboard effects as well her dual cleans and growls vocals makes for a four-pronged metalcore attack, allowing the band to drift into different musical realms much like another band that had four vocals, the Beatles.
Look I’m not saying they are the Beatles but having both Harmanis and Reades ability to do both styles, while also having male and female tones, means there are textures throughout the album not found elsewhere in metalcore. This in turn allows the constant evolving musical mind of Nick McLernon to delve into many different musical styles and embrace them into the record. Just like the Beatles.
Perfect examples are the back-to-back Mana God and Epitaph, with the former a jolting barrage of guitars and beats while the latter, the recent tour opener, really pushing Reade to the front.
No Hard Feelings taps into the bands past musically, maybe even possibly lyrically, and actually slows the frenetic pace down a little while visually still impulsive viewing as Venusian Blues takes the band into the more ethereal realms of the conscious.
Now remember those arcade sounds I mentioned earlier, a throwback to the 90s? Well, prepare for the final quarter as Ghost Of Me is one part death metal, one part mellow angelic sounds and another part angry 90s video game as the band delve deep into their childhood, modernising all their random thoughts into one song which instantly hits.
Tether kicks butt. It’s rages and grooves all in one, growing and getting bigger and Harmanis and Reade trade vocal blows in a dual assault on your senses before a damn fine catchy chorus kicks you in the balls.
Final track, Small Town Syndrome has McLernons guitar purring like a buzz saw, the dual chorus vocals absolutely imperious, Jordan Mather’s drums heart starting, as the band arguably save all the best bits of the album and smash them into four minutes of metalcore bliss.
I’ve heard some great work this year by many great artists, however right now, from track one through to track eleven I have not heard a more complete album. Sonically huge, so many flavours garnished within, the ability to visually imprint the music into your brain, and the songs are fantastic. This is special. Really special.
Album Review By Iain McCallum
