No One Gets Out Alive – Hidden Bloodiness
If you delve deep enough into the underground you can find metal fused with all sorts of other genres from the usual amalgamations of blackened death and deathrash to symphonic death metal, post black metal right down to some of the more eclectic mergers of jazz with black metal, electronics in death metal, blues of a sort in death metal and now we have bluegrass influences in death metal courtesy of Herr
Andreas Schüßler under the banner of No One Gets Out Alive who runs the show in this prolific solo project that has only just got my attention via this review, though the guy has 18 releases out since 2008 of which this latest is the seventh full length. The bluegrass addition has been inserted, I believe, since the 2013 split “Disembowel Rotten Bodies” and has been a regular feature on releases ever since and as far as I know the only other band that features the use of a banjo is Panopticon, a solo project run by multi-instrumentalist Austin Lunn, on the “Roads To The North” which is an incredible album if you’ve not heard it.
So after the background what’s it like, well it certainly is different and it would be easy to vilify this as a gimmicky album offering little except for the banjo additions to the slamming death brutality as the album starts with 'Shrouded By Trees', a calm almost stoner based riff track with a down tuned fuzz acting like as intro. About half way in the banjo starts and it does take a while for the senses to adjust to the jarring twang of the instrument to nestle with the density of other instrumentation as the track fades ready for 'Redneck Folter Horror' to follow with its slam riffing. The redneck riffing of the banjo quickly enters the foray as the vocals are ultra-low indecipherable gurgles which are pretty much constant throughout the album with little or no variation. It is good to hear that some creativity has gone into the drum programming making each track dynamic without resorting to repetitive endless blasting.
My biggest complaint about the bluegrass additions to the songs is their overt similarity and whilst I’m no expert on the instrument their structure comes across as being very similar on the songs each time but at least they gel into the songs snugly and sound part of the songs and not glued on top as an afterthought as I did like 'Hippie Shredder Strikes Again' which begins steadily before breezing into a really catchy riff where the banjo playing really works well with the metal riffing here as this track is destined to end up on my compilations to gigs to play to unsuspecting companions. The pulverising slam section is battering bolstered by the simulated double bass and some well-placed gunshot effects. 'The Woodshed Burial' also works well initialising with a slower banjo hook coupled to a colossal slam riff and disembowelling vocal delivery that is linked to a gradual intensification of the speed. It is these varied songs that work best, as 'Born In The Mountains, Raised In A Shack' continues the mid-section of the album in good form, firing sampled gunshots again, with a sauntering catchy riff and lingering banjo playing that abruptly halts for the songs metalized component to dominate. Opening with a banjo hook 'My Rifle, My Banjo And Me' could well be a Blackberry Smoke song until the death metal slam starts with its chugging bass lolling in the background. There is sleaziness to the song before unleashing a very cool death metal riff and subsequent programmed double bass demolition adding to the beastliness of the song. I need to mention the closing track, even though I’m sure you’ve got the picture by now about this release, as 'TxNxOx' is slightly different with an eerie guitar hook and backing banjo twang that has an aura of sadness to it. There is a higher vocal line initially too and is possibly a guest appearance as the track gathers momentum ready for a slamming riff finale and very cool up-tempo and extremely catchy beat as the vocals delve downward in tone. The banjo returns with a more upbeat tone and alternate with the songs punishing deathly riffing.
I am sure that many will scoff at this album and virtuosos of the banjo will nitpick at the Andreas’s banjo playing but that is not what is important about this album. What is important is that the guy has put together a set of songs that work in melding slamming death metal with a bluegrass influence and whilst it hasn’t worked on all the songs it has worked for the majority and the overall result is extremely enjoyable and a lot of fun.
Andreas Schüßler under the banner of No One Gets Out Alive who runs the show in this prolific solo project that has only just got my attention via this review, though the guy has 18 releases out since 2008 of which this latest is the seventh full length. The bluegrass addition has been inserted, I believe, since the 2013 split “Disembowel Rotten Bodies” and has been a regular feature on releases ever since and as far as I know the only other band that features the use of a banjo is Panopticon, a solo project run by multi-instrumentalist Austin Lunn, on the “Roads To The North” which is an incredible album if you’ve not heard it.
So after the background what’s it like, well it certainly is different and it would be easy to vilify this as a gimmicky album offering little except for the banjo additions to the slamming death brutality as the album starts with 'Shrouded By Trees', a calm almost stoner based riff track with a down tuned fuzz acting like as intro. About half way in the banjo starts and it does take a while for the senses to adjust to the jarring twang of the instrument to nestle with the density of other instrumentation as the track fades ready for 'Redneck Folter Horror' to follow with its slam riffing. The redneck riffing of the banjo quickly enters the foray as the vocals are ultra-low indecipherable gurgles which are pretty much constant throughout the album with little or no variation. It is good to hear that some creativity has gone into the drum programming making each track dynamic without resorting to repetitive endless blasting.
My biggest complaint about the bluegrass additions to the songs is their overt similarity and whilst I’m no expert on the instrument their structure comes across as being very similar on the songs each time but at least they gel into the songs snugly and sound part of the songs and not glued on top as an afterthought as I did like 'Hippie Shredder Strikes Again' which begins steadily before breezing into a really catchy riff where the banjo playing really works well with the metal riffing here as this track is destined to end up on my compilations to gigs to play to unsuspecting companions. The pulverising slam section is battering bolstered by the simulated double bass and some well-placed gunshot effects. 'The Woodshed Burial' also works well initialising with a slower banjo hook coupled to a colossal slam riff and disembowelling vocal delivery that is linked to a gradual intensification of the speed. It is these varied songs that work best, as 'Born In The Mountains, Raised In A Shack' continues the mid-section of the album in good form, firing sampled gunshots again, with a sauntering catchy riff and lingering banjo playing that abruptly halts for the songs metalized component to dominate. Opening with a banjo hook 'My Rifle, My Banjo And Me' could well be a Blackberry Smoke song until the death metal slam starts with its chugging bass lolling in the background. There is sleaziness to the song before unleashing a very cool death metal riff and subsequent programmed double bass demolition adding to the beastliness of the song. I need to mention the closing track, even though I’m sure you’ve got the picture by now about this release, as 'TxNxOx' is slightly different with an eerie guitar hook and backing banjo twang that has an aura of sadness to it. There is a higher vocal line initially too and is possibly a guest appearance as the track gathers momentum ready for a slamming riff finale and very cool up-tempo and extremely catchy beat as the vocals delve downward in tone. The banjo returns with a more upbeat tone and alternate with the songs punishing deathly riffing.
I am sure that many will scoff at this album and virtuosos of the banjo will nitpick at the Andreas’s banjo playing but that is not what is important about this album. What is important is that the guy has put together a set of songs that work in melding slamming death metal with a bluegrass influence and whilst it hasn’t worked on all the songs it has worked for the majority and the overall result is extremely enjoyable and a lot of fun.
- Shrouded By Treesredneck Folter Horror
- Relentless Abolishment
- Hippie Shredder Strikes Again
- The Woodshed Burial
- Born In The Mountains - Raised In A Shack
- My Rifle My Banjo And Me
- Unintention Deformity
- Hidden Bloodiness
- TxNxOx
Label: http://www.rottenrollrex.com
Reviewer: twansibon
Dec 27, 2017
Dec 27, 2017
Next review:
Anthrophagus - Anima In Decay
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