Left to Vanish
VERSUS THE THRONE

January 2009
Released: 2008, Lifeforce Records
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Munkwunk

In case you haven't heard of them before, Left to Vanish is a new band out of Philadelphia who perform a standard blend of hardcore and death metal. The bright green colors on the cover of their new album, VERSUS THE THRONE, and the pink and pastel colors on their MySpace page, belie the brutal nature of their sound, which consists of crunchy guitars, thundering double-bass drums, and growling vocals. Before actually listening to the band it could be easy to mistake them for a screamo act, but after spending some time with the album you may find that your first impression was askew.



VERSUS THE THRONE is a punishing album from start to finish, with only a short break for a more melodic instrumental on track six, "Werewolf and Nash". After an intro that feels like a sound test, "Give Us Barabas" kicks in to gear and pummels the listener with some intense drumming, which is perhaps the band's strongest selling-point; there isn't anything special about the musicianship on this album, though everything fits in to place and is generally well-performed, but the drums underlie each track with a crushing sensation that helps set the tone.



Fans of deathcore will likely find something of interest on VERSUS THE THRONE, but their mix of hardcore and death metal isn't likely to entice any newcomers to the genre. Left to Vanish has the potential to shine above some of their more mundane peers, especially since songs like "Werewolf and Nash" and "Sufferage Under a Sulfur Sky" prove that they have more to offer than typical members of the genre, but VERSUS THE THRONE doesn't quite bring enough new or interesting content to be the album that sets them apart.



MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lefttovanish