:: Carnifex - Hell Chose Me

Carnifex

Despite earning praise for their two previous full-length efforts, I can’t say that I’ve been all that impressed with what Californian act Carnifex have offered up to date. The deathcore scene is certainly a popular genre amongst younger band these days, and that means finding that something special amongst the endless clones is becoming more and more of a challenge. And while Carnifex aren’t the worst act on the scene, they’re certainly not the most innovative, original or entertaining to my ears. Now with the five piece act returning with their third effort ‘Hell Chose Me’, I can only say that I wasn’t expecting much in the way of any real change of direction or step up in terms of the group’s ability to rise above the endless mass of fellow deathcore acts. But while my expectations were low, I have to admit that ‘Hell Chose Me’ wasn’t quite the complete disaster I was expecting. Instead, it turned out to be an entertaining listen, and easily one of Carnifex’s strongest releases yet. The opening title track ‘Hell Chose Me’ immediately stands out for a couple of reasons. Carnifex have obviously decided to speed things up quite a bit from the past material, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction. But it’s not just speed that the band have altered this time around, with their overall direction veering more toward melodic death metal, and relying less on the ‘core’ elements that dominated their previous efforts. Although there’s shift in sound and style, it has to be said that the band are treading similar ground to The Black Dahlia Murder mixed with A Job For A Cowboy in places, and possibly a little too much for some. But given that the album runs for a mere thirty-five minutes, and the band’s attempt to shake things up a little with songs like ‘Heartless’ and ‘Sorrowspell’, ‘Hell Chose Me’ is a thoroughly enjoyable listen. No, ‘Hell Chose Me’ is not a classic, and not all of the songs really stand out in the mind long after they finish. But it sure as hell eclipses the standard laid down with their first two releases, and that’s probably more than enough to ensure Carnifex’s survival beyond their current release.