Album Review: To The Grave - Everyone's A Murderer
Reviewed by Drew McCarthy
Veganism and metal are two things that you would not necessarily think would make very good bedfellows, but just like Cattle Decapitation before them, To The Grave have made a name for themselves and given a voice to the voiceless and a name to the nameless with both their unparalleled ferocity and unapologetic activism in equal measure. Now they are back to do it all over again on 'Everyone's A Murderer'.
Starting off with great aplomb in the form of the absolute stomper that is 'Set Yourself on Fire (In Public)', both the title and tone of the song perfectly setting a strong precedent for what the rest of the album entails. Also matching perfectly with the grotesque imagery that comes to mind, the song is punctuated by a non stop barrage of heavy drums, with the signature fast kick drumming, before Dane Evans delivers a chaotic and gnarly sounding guttural squeal. There have not been many opening songs on an album that have left me open mouthed before, but this was definitely one of them.
Heralding the arrival of 'A Body For A Body' are sirens that eventually dwindle away, before the song begins in anger with some of the fastest guitar and drum work that I think that I have ever heard in my life. As the song continues it becomes dominated by overpowering and unfiltered noise alongside jarring vocals. But rather than being a distraction, everything works together perfectly, just showing how competent and confident each member of To The Grave are in their individual abilities.
'Burn Your Local Butcher' is the latest single to be taken from the album, the subtle use of a chainsaw and the pig squeals used near the end of the song really add depth to this tune. They are absolutely harrowing and give you some sort of idea of what the environment inside somewhere like an abattoir must be like. However, what really made me sit up and take notice was the use of the guitars and the contrast between the fast paced, frenetic start and the slow, bone rattling breakdowns.
'Everyone’s A Murderer' is not your typical deathcore album, it is an album that shows that To The Grave have not just become masters of their craft, but also of their own morality. To The Grave have found themselves exploring and going beyond what many people would expect from deathcore by creating an album that refines their sound and shines a light on the systematic cruelty and suffering of those living creatures that cannot defend themselves.
