The production, as it is with most deathcore I’ve heard, is loud and clean–perhaps too much but it does work in favor with the album’s style. Every little electronic noise can be heard clearly and the guitar riffs are put front in center—unbelievably crushing. This all works out because “Heritage” is an album that is absolutely unrelenting. Most deathcore seem to want to live in a world where extremeness is balanced with other sensibilities but Distant think otherwise. From beginning to end, this album rarely lets up, wave after wave just keeping you under a nearly suffocating blanket of heaviness. I also appreciate the band choosing to NOT focus on clean vocals. I don’t have any issues with clean vocals but they have their time and place. “Heritage” is an album that doesn’t need them and if they were forced in, it wouldn’t sound right.
The album opens with “Acid Rain,” and it is an intro that is actually worth listening to. It segues into the first proper trac, “Paradigm Shift,” perfectly. Dissonant, crunchy, and groovy are the waters the guitars move through, ensuring there is always something to cave your face in. The bass tends to get buried under the riffs and vocals but when it shines, it is about as heavy as a mountain. It definitely adds to the density of the album’s core sound, which threatens to cave the ears in.
“The Grief Manifest,” balances hardcore breakdowns with true death metal. Living in two worlds yet melding them together is never easy to do but Distant seems to be able to handle that task with ease. The vocals have a bit of a blackened flavor to them at times on this song, which only adds more sharpness to an already deadly sound. The electronic elements are well melded into the fabric here, often kicking off a more punishing moment.
By the time I get to “Exofilth,” I realize this band isn’t messing around—they are going to keep getting lower, heavier, and instead of compromising even the smallest percent, they are going to just dig further into their sound. There isn’t anything wrong with that and I actually love it when a band has a full grasp of their sound, scope, and vision. This particular song showcases the vicious vocal attacks of Alan Grnja, proving he is some sort of monster with the ability to absorb and redirect boundless energy.
The guitar solos and steady rampage of the double bass is another fine moment where the death metal influences kicks in just before the famous deathcore breakdown and low growls finish the kill. Another aspect of this album I like is that, despite their feverish approach that seems chaotic, the songs aren’t overly speedy. It isn’t doom but its slow to mid paced approach gives a methodical aspect to the songs that most of their peers don’t have.
“The Gnostic Uprising,” is a prime example of what I’m talking about. What’s heavier…a song that is going a hundred miles a minute or one that acts like a steam roller that slowly crushes you?
The subtle keys/electronics on the title track mix with their riffs and insane vocals to create what I believe is the best example of the band’s sound and what this album was trying to achieve. The mid portion is another romp of death metal before going into a beatdown of epic proportions. The band weaving in and out of styles and approaches like this is when they really nail it all on the head. All in all, Distant’s “Heritage” is one of the few deathcore albums to ever impress me. I like the way they approach a tried and true sound by standing out as individuals and doing what they want—and making it work. Links: https://distantband.lnk.to/ExofilthID
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