4.52am Issue: 006 30th October 2016

EXIST IMMORTAL
Breathe
One thing that has surprised me in all those
days and weeks since we started 4.52am, is
just how little Metal we are seeing in the old
review pile (OK hard disk folder, as let’s face
it downloads are my beverage of choice
these days, I’m just too old to stream and
nobody sends vinyl.) However, having
listened to Breathe, which in a minimum of
words I can only describe as one of the
freshest yet insanely pounding metal albums
I have had the honour to listen to in years, I
can’t imagine we’ll be getting too many
more as who the fuck would have the
gonads to follow this?
But what makes it so good? I mean
crunching and crashing guitars – there are
plenty – superb depths of rhythm – my eyes
bled I tell you – all of these things, and one
of the finest metal vocalists since, well I
can’t think of a better one at this present
moment. Although Trent Reznor keeps
coming to mind, or maybe I just want to
play this to him and see him cry, the big
girl. But no, I like Trent, we do sushi,
something I can’t ever see me having the
bottle to say about the supremely
talented Meyrick de la Fuente. But it isn’t
the epic vocals, stunning guitars or
damage to internal organs that make
Exist Immortal special, it is because they
write proper songs, with melodies and
meanings and hooks that catch in your
throat rather than through it, and unlike
anybody else right now they are truly
memorable. Because heavy they may be,
but they are songwriters too, people
forget that part.
Check out Breath Here.