365 Days of Metal: Executioner of Feelings

Day 66

Carnifex - Until I Feel Nothing

Band Origin: San Diego, California, USA

Genre: Deathcore

Label: Victory Records

Running Time: 32 minutes

Release Date: October 25, 2011

Best Part: Title Track + Never Forgive Me

Favorite Tracks: Creation Defaced, Until I Feel Nothing, Never Forgive Me, We Spoke of Lies, and Dehumanize

Grade: 4

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Until I Feel Nothing in 20ish words or less:

Carnifex returns with their second album in two years and takes their tried, tested and brutal model one step further.

The Band: 

Carnifex is a five piece deathcore outfit playing out of San Diego that was formed in 2005 and has risen to relative success within the genre. The band has released four full-length records in six years and has toured constantly in support of each release, supporting acts some of the best acts in their respective genre, in death metal with their appearance on the 2010 Summer Slaughter tour. Carnifex's bread and butter revolves around speed, drop tuned meaty breakdowns and lyrical content focusing on relationships, hatred and inner struggles provided through Scott Lewis' gut wrenching gutturals and piercing screams. However, over the course of their career they have evolved their sound, slightly incorporating small new twists and elements, keeping them ahead of the pack. They also put on a great live set and have never disappointed at any of the four of five shows I've been to where they've been on the bill, living up to their band title which means Executioner.

Carnifex's other releases include: Dead in My Arms (2007), The Diseased and the Poisoned (2008), and Hell Chose Me (2010)

Jay's Take on Until I Feel Nothing:

Carnifex's previous release, Hell Chose Me, is the record I'm least familiar with of the groups past recordings, so when I think of Carnifex I imagine their work on Dead In My Arms and The Diseased and the Poisoned. The primary difference between Until I Feel Nothing and their earlier works is the sense of cohesion in the record. Obviously we're not talking about concept albums here, so the tracks don't need to flow from one to the next, but where there earlier works seemed to bounce about from track to track at times, Until I Feel Nothing has strange way of brutally flowing together from the intro track, all the way to the end. Carnifex has added in some new elements to some of their tracks, including synthesizer flourishes and a subdued, acoustic interlude at the end of the title track - which really does pave the way for the following track on the record, evidence of the flow of the album. The overall feel of the album is much crisper, cleaner, and technically sound given that the material is chuggy, high-tempo and abrasive on all fronts. Carnifex has really managed to out-do themselves on this record - definitely their best yet.

Sample of the Day:



- J