Genre : Chaotic hardcore, Industrial hardcore, Metalcore, Mathgrind
Released : October 27th, 2023
Label : Closed Casket Activities
FFO : Converge, Cult Leader, Heriot
After undergoing a change of personnel behind the kit with Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan, ThoughtCrimes) passing down the torch to Matt Guglielmo (The Acacia Strain), the chaotic hardcore "supergroup" double down on the "industrialization" of their sound, something that has been a characteristic present since their first EP released in 2017 but whose intensification was especially hinted at on their 2022 split with Cult Leader, "Gather & Mourn".
As a sophomore album, "The Sin of Human Frailty" succeeds in amplifying every aspect that made END's sound so punishing in the first place while also deepening the experimentation with industrial and noise influences, resulting in a seemless amalgamation of extreme music genre-blending.
It's no secret at this point that anything with Will Putney in charge of production duties is gonna turn out sounding massively chaotic, capturing the rawness of the performances and putting those qualities under the spotlight while making them easily legible, and such is the case here now perhaps more than ever given that END seems to act out as both Putney's golden child as well as his playground.
Vocalist Brendan Murphy once again trades the emotional vulnerability and intensity he is known for in Counterparts, in favour of sheer rage and bestiality, alongside some distinguished guest spots featuring Debbie Gough (Heriot), J.R.Hayes (Pig Destroyer) and Dylan Walker (Full Of Hell), who all bring their own distinct touch, adding to the album's variety while seemlessly integrating its constantly shifting momentum and hellish soundscapes.
It did take me a few listens for it to really start sticking with me but there is no denying that "The Sin of Human Frailty" is a must-listen for any fan of contemporary extreme music, and while it may appear upon first listen as one big hostile mass of relentless sonic assault, the album offers quite a few standout moments, perhaps most notably on "Thaw" where the industrial experimentation is at its peak, as well as the melancholic and Conjurer-reminescent "Embodiment of Grief" and my own personal favourite, the expansive and menacing album closer "Leper".
The mortal nature of our humanity may be frail but this album is certainly anything but, as it rages against the dying of the light.
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