Hailing from Yekaterinberg, Russia, Slaughter To Prevail emerged in 2015 with debut EP Chapters Of Misery, earning themselves millions of views on YouTube and a record deal with Sumerian Record in the process. In 2017, the band followed up on the promise of their EP with their debut album, Misery Sermon, a vicious, relentless blast that should have put them on the stage with the likes of Black Dahlia Murder and Dying Fetus, if it weren’t for continuing visa issues serving to hamper the band’s international touring ambitions. Such simmering resentment is all grist to the mill for Slaughter To Prevail, who have now returned with the ferocious Kostolom, a twelve-track outpouring of malevolence which, if the success of lead single Baba Yaga is any indication, will be another huge success for a band, seemingly in spite of cover that looks like it was hammered together in photoshop as the result of a bet gone wrong.
Kicking off the album, the heavily processed riffing of Bonebreaker borrows production tropes from both industrial and nu metal, the mechanistic riffs harnessed to a mid-tempo beat that provides more than enough weight behind Alex Terrible’s varied, propulsive vocal style. Caught somewhere between John Gallagher and Corey Taylor, there’s a good balance of the brutal and the catchy here, and the track makes for a potent point of entry to the album. Demolisher, with its dizzying riffs, follows hot on Bonebreaker’s heels. A demented cauldron of hate, it sits comfortably alongside the likes of Dying Fetus in terms of mechanical precision, and it paves the way for the already massive Baba Yaga. Built around a nursery rhyme gone horribly awry, Baba Yaga is the stuff of nightmares and yet, thanks to a melodic chorus, it has that crossover appeal that saw the likes of Slipknot implausibly head to number one with Iowa. A strong statement of identity, Made In Russia draws on a different set of rhythms for its vocal delivery, incorporating dynamic hip hop and spoken word elements into the mix, yet maintaining the metallic intensity found elsewhere. It pairs well with the crushing Zavali Ebalo, a track that threatens to bury the listener under an avalanche of double kick drumming. The sonic assault continues unabated on Agony, a nasty mix of early Slipknot and King 810, with a pinch of Coal Chamber’s breathy dynamic on display in the interplay between guitar and bass.
Kicking off the album’s second half, Your Only is a surprisingly melodic outing that takes the nu metal blueprint and amps it up to eleven. Stabbing guitars, rumbling bass and a chorus so catchy it’s practically an STD, this is another obvious single choice. In contrast, I Killed A Man has a martial groove that matches its dark subject matter, while some odd, synth-infused digressions allow the band to step away from their peers to offer something that sounds refreshingly different from the pack. Those synths remain prominent at the start of Bratva, a rippling sequence paving the way for Alex Terrible’s self-mythologising arrival on stage. A full-on death assault, neatly anchored by Mikhail Petrov’s gruelling bass, it’s an album highlight and guaranteed to get the pit moving. Similarly blistering, Ouroboros adds some atypical percussion alongside Evgeny Novikov’s blast beats, but it’s the devastating Head On A Plate that most will remember. In an album of remorseless horror, Head On A Plate still manages to be darker and nastier than anything else – no mean feat. The album concludes with the raw-throated screams of Father, one last dynamic assault on the senses that ensures the listener is left bodily shaken at the levels of intensity the band employ.
Impressively brutal, Kostolom also pulls off the feat of being impressively varied. Drawing on death metal, metalcore, industrial and nu metal, Slaughter To prevail tread their own path, even allowing elements of melody into the mix with only minimal dips in intensity in consequence. While those who like their death metal unsullied by clean singing (and/or electronica) may find this a step too far, it’s easy to imagine many more flocking to the band’s banner as a result of this powerfully produced and perfectly performed monstrosity. For those looking for a sinus-cleansing dose of extremity, Kostolom should fit the bill nicely. 8.5/10
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