Melancholy

Deathcore has never been a genre I've followed particularly closely. This only makes it a more special event when certain albums of this style jump out at me. A friend of mine told - nay, commanded - me to sit through the entirety of Melancholy, the third album in as many years by Connecticut metallers Shadow Of Intent. Having never delved into this band's catalogue before, I was neither optimistic nor sceptical. After the first minute of the opening title-track my jaw was dropped, my head was banging and my musical intelligence was suitably impressed. Melancholy does so many things right that other records of this ilk completely ignore. This is thinking-man's deathcore - with plenty of symphonic elements and other points of intrigue. The fact that I stood upright for a whole 52 minutes and didn't sit down once during my first listen speaks volumes.

This is one of those albums that begs to be listened to from start to finish - structured wonderfully, like a journey through different emotional states, but all tied together by a stylistic cohesion. The main melody to the opening title-track is so addictive, but utterly drenched in a melancholic (duh) triumph - the perfect hook to open the LP. Most refreshingly, Shadow Of Intent aren't obsessed with being the fastest and heaviest thing out there, resulting in a more sincere, authentic approach to songwriting. Tracks take a while to establish themselves in your brain, and they develop gradually with intelligence. The symphonic elements, too, are carefully considered and switch between taking the forefront of the melody and simply adding to the atmosphere. They are also of surprisingly high quality for any band outside of the power metal genre.

Despite praising SOI's more restrained method of composition, when they do go all-out, it's most impressive. Blast-beats seem to defy physics and textures become incomprehensibly thick - yet it all works within the world of Melancholy. Nothing is going out on a limb to be a hero - it all fuses together like a well-oiled machine of apocalyptic proportions. The restraint showed results in hulking, catchy grooves where other deathcore outfits may just resort to dull breakdowns or pointless blasts. The opening riff to "Gravesinger" is a real beast and the 5:48 mark in "The Dreaded Mystic Abyss" will snap your neck, period. In general, that latter track is the jewel in Melancholy's crown. A 10-minute instrumental which flies by in a moment due to the sheer quality of the composing, and the perfection of the execution. Riff after immense riff passes by before culminating in a dramatic symphonic climax. Best instrumental of 2019 for sure.

My only issue with this LP is that it didn't end on that theatrical 10-minute epic. The closing track, "Malediction", is another gem with some razor-like menacing riff work. But doesn't fit as a conclusion for such a monumental effort. Elsewhere, the brooding crawl of "Oudenophobia" or the short, sharp burst of "Dirge Of The Void" ensure that the listener is never bored. The duelling vocals of Chris Wiseman and Ben Duerr reach mammoth ranges, including some admirable semi-cleans on the choruses. I never thought I'd say this, but this is a deathcore album that provides everything a metalhead could want. Dynamics, range, timbre, restraint, blastbeats, maturity, structure... and riffs. So many riffs. Bravo Shadow Of Intent -  dark horse of the year, and one of my top 10 of 2019 undoubtedly.