Artery - Last Chance
France’s Artery have been around for quite some time- since 2005- but it has been a bit since anyone has heard from them since their 2018 EP. With the departure of their more Death Metal styled vocalist, they have gained a new vocalist Greg who makes his debut on “Last Chance.” While his voice brings a bit more of a Metalcore element to the music similar to early Trivium or Sylosis, Artery still retain their Death Metal elements for quite a turbulent speedy listen that is full of a fast tracks with little room for interludes or progressive moments. This record is pretty much a straightforward thrasher that fans of the early 2000s Metalcore scene will enjoy, minus the radio friendly chorus parts.
One will notice that the guitars from Uelcos and Thierry are the stars here right out the gates with the title track. Forebodingly slow at first, things explode shortly after with a mix of chugging catchy riffs and throaty screams amongst the bass from Julien and the drums from Micka, one will definitely hear the Thine Eyes Bleed meets Sylosis bits. The vocals screaming elements from Greg get layered at times, sometimes in a harsher way than they come off. Other tracks like ‘Welcome Inside the Game’ have that ringing bass and a driving force behind the riffs while the vocals hit hard, and there is even some Sybreed influence with the adding in the clean vocals. Greg’s cleans sometimes sound decent here, but sometimes they also sound almost stoned and tired when considering a track like ‘Prediction’ which come across more like a Groove Metal effort like Skinlab with its droning amongst the uplifting riffs before going back to the Sylosis sounding screams. It is a bit divisive, but at the same time gives the band more depth so they aren’t Metalcore harsh all the time.
The closing ‘The Lie We Live In’ showcases Artery best at their harsh and melodic moments. While devoid of cleans, the riffs almost have a bit of a Melodeath structure to them amongst the Metalcore, versus the more Thrash tinged fury that speeds through on a track like ‘Hate.’ Artery has always been known for being aggressive, but they sound better when their melodically aggressive, much like how Trivium delivered in early to mid era work. While on tracks like these the vocals and guitars take the front while the drums and bass are a bit pushed back, unlike earlier in the album where they all seemed on even footing, the churning chug of the music keeps the rhythm going and Greg sounds like strained on his voice and more comfortable with the screaming. While some might feel the past vocalist Benoit had more fury and guttural power behind his voice making Artery more Death Metal than Metalcore, one can still sense a bit of Death Metal bits from Greg and the rest of the band, just not as much as the band has continued to evolve.
Overall fans will probably take or leave “Last Chance” depending how they like their heaviness. It is safe to say Artery stayed heavy and didn’t have a transition like Melodic Groove act Sonic Syndicate did when they changed vocalists in 2010 and divided their fanbase. Artery’s sound has its Death Metal elements in place mostly in the riffs, but as one can tell over the years they were always leaning more and more towards Metalcore as time went by. While their new vocalist is not as throaty and deep as the previous and a bit more ‘screamy,’ his cleans add some interesting points and don’t take away from the strong riffs created throughout the album among the solos. In short, those who like more millenial Metal bands out there from the 2000s Killswitch or Trivium or even Bleeding Through era will find Artery quite appealing and yet not commercially ‘sold out’ while retaining a hard edge that gives them that underground touch.
3 / 5 STARS