Footage of a Yeti
Purging the Human Condition EP
(Self-Release)
If ever there was an award given to the style best suited for an EP, deathcore would certainly be nominated. With its emphasis on brutality over everything else, twenty minutes seems to be the perfect amount of time for a band to get their point across before becoming too overbearing. There’s often a point in even some of the better deathcore full-lengths when things just become too much (not of all deathcore, but any brutal music is best in short bursts).
Thus, it’s no surprise that New York-based Footage of a Yeti highlight just why shorter is sometimes better. Their 7-track EP starts strong and, despite some petering off at the end, maintains a nice balance of styles that keep Purging the Human Condition (clearly this is a nice, easy listen) interesting and entertaining. Their version of the style merges a more retro version of the style (think Carnifex with more Aversions Crown’s love of alien melodies) with something more modern (think Humanity’s Last Breath, but less guttural and technical). The juns, djents, and chugs are all here in spades, but the nicely timed guitar solo and instrumental (“Wretched World” and “Hell Gate”, respectively) go well with the two-part title track suite, which highlights the great breadth of sound Footage of a Yeti can conjure up.
If only it ended on a good note; “Death Prayer” is a beatdown tune that lacks a punch, and it reminds the listener that the breakdowns in the record are generally lackluster. It’s certainly dragging down what is a nice (well, maybe not exactly friendly) little EP from a band who could be much more. The talent is there for this band to stand with the band’s influences, but subpar breakdowns and a lack of breaking the mold make for a flawed, though fun, listen. Worst case, this certainly makes for good gym tunes.
