Genre : Chaotic hardcore, Mathcore, Nu-metalcore, Alternative metal
Released : March 4th, 2022
Label : Closed Casket Activities
FFO : Slipknot (early), Code Orange, Knocked Loose, The Dillinger Escape Plan
Vein's debut full-length "Errorzone" completely shook my musical world when it came out in 2018 and I rapidly became obsessed with it.
I think it was the first time I had heard a band which, although their core both musically and in spirit resided in the hardcore scene, were this "mathy" and unrelentingly chaotic both in their song structures and their performances while also infusing their sound with late 90's/early 2000's nu-metal and alternative metal nostalgia, boosted by the occasional jungle d&b elements which ramped up the energy and nostalgic factor even higher.
Although far from being the first piece of work the band had put out, given that they had been releasing music since 2013, "Errorzone" had set the bar extremely high not only for Vein itself but the scene in general.
There's a reason for this album being so critically acclaimed and beloved by fans of the genre.
And I'm gonna say it upfront :
"This World Is Going To Ruin You" improves on pretty much everything its predecessor had done while also feeling like an organic continuation and evolution of the band's musical style and aesthetics.
A quite literal continuation in fact, since album opener "Welcome Home" directly samples a segment of the track "Demise Automation" taken from "Errorzone".
This is something Vein truly shine at and have been applauded for :
Making new with the old and pushing their genre forward while also reviving elements of past eras of alternative heavy music.
While we're on the subject, I gotta give props to "Welcome Home" for being a perfect opening track for this album that does an amazing job at hyping up the listener and preparing him for the sonic onslaught that is to come.
The same could be said in regards to the album's dark and foreboding artwork and title.
When heavy music constitutes most of the music that you listen to, there is a strong possibility of becoming desensitized or detached from the agression contained within the music at times.
But then bands like Vein come through with such raw, relentless and unrestricted energy that even the most hardened enjoyer of extreme music would be taken aback by how thoroughly unbridled and (pardon my French) fucking wild this music is.
Although most songs have a fairly short run-time, there is so much chaos going on that your brain can easily trick you into thinking the songs are longer than they actually are as it unpacks and tries its best to process what just happened.
Funnily enough, it is the album's longest cut (and closing track) "Funeral Sound" that feels like it is the least eventful song of the record, although being a fitting send-off to it.
Every single member of the band shines in this record; whether it is the indispensable deep grooves brought by Jon Lhaubouet on bass, Jeremy Martin's frantic, sharp and creative guitar work or Anthony DiDio's unmistakable piercing, shrill vocals bursting with rage and even the eeriness of electronic samples and turntables brought by the band's latest addition to their lineup, Benno Levine.
But for me, what elevates this album to the next level is the drumming that is on display.
It feels completely schizophrenic yet intricate, precise and heavy hitting, with grooves that feel completely alien to hardcore yet conduct the chaos masterfully and makes everything feel so fresh and cutting-edge.
I truly wish I had better drumming vocabulary to do justice to Matt Wood's performance.
Overall, I absolutely love what Vein have done here with this new album.
The sonic mayhem feels as fluid and crushing as ever while still leaving enough space for the band to try new, slightly more accessible things on tracks like "Wherever You Are", "Magazine Beach" (a perfect mix of abrasiveness and alt-metal nostalgia), "Wavery" and "Funeral Sound".
Sonically and visually, the band have also continued to expand upon their horror-tinged thematical universe with this new release through two very creative music videos along with cryptic lyricism and unsettling voice samples.
So far, this is my only strong AOTY contender and I can only encourage you to take the dive if you haven't already!
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