One of the biggest pleasures of listening to Rusted Eyes Awake was to hear the music and not walk away with the opinion that this is just another modern U.S. metal band labeled with the death metal tag that actually plays nauseating post-millennial death-core. Landmine Marathon still does have some of those influences interspersed but for the most part the Arizonians play old-school- caked death metal with a heavy nod towards the old Earache Records releases. Even the cover art is brings to mind Repulsion's seminal Horrified.
This album is an almighty brutal attack, it has to be clarified. There aren't many pauses for breath amidst the scattergun approach, save for the occasional mid-tempo, chugging breakdown that betrays the band's modern hardcore influences. Aside from this, Landmine Marathon let rip with pummeling drums and buzzing riffs. Rusted Eyes Awake is the kind of album that raises your pulse and puts you in the frame of mind to do something physical. A two hour Thai-boxing session would seem like the perfect activity for the soundtrack, as elbowing a sand bag (preferably with the boss of London underground's face plastered onto it) is what you will be most inclined to partake in.
"Bile Towers" has the ultimate tempo for an album starter, immediately charging at you with churning, bass-heavy riffs with a loving nod to Bolt Thrower and old Entombed records. Sometimes the guitar players sidestep this with a few melodic riffing turns, and harmonies are good when avoiding monotonous rumblings. Along with this comes a worthy vocal performance by Grace Perry. She is definitely up there with the best in terms of bile and vitriol and the acidic throat renderings in "Heroin Swine," to use one example, definitely do their best to convince you.
What makes Rusted Eyes Awake even better compared to many other modern metal records is that it doesn't get weighed down by an overt technicality, something that can be a problem in this genre. Old school feel and grimy, lurching and sloppy riffs are always better for sheer enjoyment than a frenetic wankfest.
This isn't perfect album by any means but it's a joy to annoy neighbors with it. Supposedly these guys tour a hell of a lot - they need to bring their desert asses over to Europe soon.
