Southern outfit Hell Comes Home whet fans’ collective appetite earlier in the year with a short debut EP Dying Breed and have not left fans waiting to long for the follow up and first full-length, Hell Come Home.
In many ways, Sam Simmons and Nick Stambuck present like a throwback, with the assurance and authority in the tracks. But once you’ve explored the progressive metalcore riffs and compelling storytelling, comparisons to more recent masters of the genre also ring true.
Rueing the comfort and mechanical routines of modern life, lead single “Don’t Go Gentle Into That Good Night” was inspired by a post-World War II poem by Dylan Thomas and captures the full picture of what Hell Comes Home does well. An anthemic and bullish display of modern heavy, raw and unabashedly in your face, but with technical artistry, dazzling guitars interweaving the sonic assault around ever bend.
Hell Comes Home is much more than simply a strong showing of musicianship. On “Numb The Noise” and “Regret” the Arkansas duo delve into deeply personal tales of loss, addiction and grief, as they craft a moving and relatable set of tracks, that even in their heavier moments come across with accessibility and candor. At times angry, at times vulnerable, but always honest.
With tracks like “Nazarene Nightmare” and “History Repeats,” the album sits firmly in deathcore territory. Punctuative chugs and dark vocal aesthetic make for a haunting sonic experience, channelling the likes of All Shall Perish as melodic riffs soften the emphatic crunch of percussion.
Hell Comes Home have announced themselves onto the heavy scene with an impressive debut full-length. Eight tracks feels like an ideal length for an introduction to their slick synergy of metal, and even though half of those register at over four minutes long, there’s an intrigue to the collection amidst the skull-crushing weight of the tracks.
Photo courtesy of Hell Comes Home
