Still Life Records delivers another slab of aggressive metalcore as it teams up Italy's The End of Six Thousand Years and Sacramento, California's Embrace the End. Each band contributes three songs each of punishing metalcore that will no doubt please any fan of the genre, whether they feel the genre is played out or are just getting into the scene.
The End of Six Thousand Years strike first and they do so in an impressive manner. Prior to hearing this album, I was not even aware of the band's existence, but now I am glad to have been introduced. "Immortal Fading" is an excellent mix of melodic death metal akin to At the Gates and Until Your Heart Stops-era Cave In. "Last Requiem" is more of the same, but in the concentrated form of a two-and-a-half minute track. The band truly shines on their last contribution, "A Burial." On the surface it's comparable to the other two tracks committed to tape, but the guitar work is even more focused as it shifts back and forth between the more thrashy parts and the breakdowns. I definitely look forward to hearing more from these guys.
Embrace the End hits up the flip side with three more tracks of ferocious metalcore. The downside is that these songs can all be found on their full-length, Counting Hallways to the Left, which was released in 2005 on Abacus. The songs here are apparently different versions, but they're practically identical to the ones found on the full-length. The upside is that these three songs are fantastic. Embrace the End deliver twisting and complex songs that vary in length from five to seven minutes. The songs are chuck full of punishing metal and hardcore with a slight tinge of death/grindcore. If you never picked up their full-length or neglected to check them out because listening to metalcore is taboo, I suggest you do so as it is by no means typical or watered down; it is one of the best core albums to come out in a long while.
Still Life Records seem to have a knack for finding quality bands from home - they're an Italian label - and afar. The End of Six Thousand Years is definitely a band to keep tabs on - they have a bright future ahead of themselves. And despite some major lineup shifts, Embrace the End is still planning a new album.
