Whereas The Hate Colony's (THC from now on) debut album 'Dead or Victorious' from 2011 melted Pantera style groove metal with melodic Gothenburg death metal antics, the band's second full-length album 'Navigate' is essentially metalcore.

That does not mean, that THC have dumped all of the melodic death metal stuff, no. Actually, the well-played lead guitar has moved to the fore on this album, when it was rather concealed on the debut. That's one reason why the music is now more melodic. The second cause is songwriting, which is more into-the-point, but also... You guessed it: boosted with melodiousness! However, there still are many moments, that tend to be on dull side, and to me they are those metalcore-ish, djent-ish, low-tuned stop 'n' go, palm-muted riffing parts. Some of the songs contain neoclassical-influenced guitar work, giving THC more skilled appearance. The band manages to surprise with 'Solitude', which has quite unique, mellow melodies and riffs, although it's like part 2 of the debut's 'No Sympathy'. Generally, I get reminded by the likes of Soilwork and Avenged Sevenfold here and there, and 'Pandemonium' smells of Machinae Supremacy. THC still manage to sound Scandinavian, even though they flirt like hell with US sound.

The tempos vary from bouncing, pulsating metalcore stuff to death metal ethics. There's just loads of 'em, and the rhythm section cannot be called as repetitive. The bass guitar work is similarly eccentric. However, it's the production job that is somewhat lacking in power output. It is a tad trebly and thin ("go buy a bass booster", I hear you say), but still much better than last time around. "Futuristic" synthesizer playing fits in well, be it mat-like or clinking or such stuff. Or game music style...

The vocals are the biggest obstacle for me to overcome. I bet I'll never get into this distorted screaming, which is the main voice utilized. They just aren't very varying (some more growled, plus different screamo styles), plus they feel like they're about to make my ears bleed, no thanks to their high pitch. Guesting rapper can be heard on one song, and it isn't quite as bad as one would thought it to be. The lyrics are about life lived, some in swaggering hardcore manner. But there are some truths told, too.

'Navigate' is a surprisingly diversified album, even though still pretty uniform. It's a catchy one, but still, gladly, miles away from Sonic Syndicate and such metal-cum-pop music outfits. What can I say about metalcore?! I don't particularly enjoy listening to this style of music, but when a band like this emerges, I'm not bemoaning.

Rating: 6+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
02/03/2015 19:11