Review: The Last Ten Seconds of Life Bring the Ruckus and Then Some On No Name Graves
Mansfield, Pennsylvania’s The Last Ten Seconds of Life have been a staple in deathcore for over a decade at this point, cranking out albums and EP’s with consistency and touring all over the world with pretty much all the household names. But then two years ago, a shakeup of epic proportions took place within their ranks. A situation like this would have kneecapped most other bands, but not these cats. Founding guitarist Wyatt McLaughlin wasted no time whatsoever in surrounding himself with a fresh set of new faces, and later that same year the band debuted their new lineup with the four-song EP Disquisition on an Execution.
That one was cool and all, but the release of their newest full length No Name Graves sees TLTSOL take a noticeably more experimental approach to their songwriting. It’s a clear indication that the new roster has only grown more cohesive and synchronized as time goes on. As is the case with most deathcore albums, there were some parts that I wasn’t too keen on, but thankfully those moments were far outweighed by, well, everything else.
The first thing I noticed was that Tyler Beam’s voice sounds much stronger this time around. It was already solid on Disquisition, but now it’s got that extra little oomph in it that makes you pull “The Face”. You know the one, that scrunched nose expression that makes you look like you just stepped in dog shit, but ironically is actually one of the highest compliments that a metal musician can be paid. Beam’s vocals sit comfortably in a slightly lower register on this album and have a faint gurgle to them, blurring the line between growls and gutturals at times. Homeboy’s been practicing, and it shows.
Another thing that stood out for me was the drums, specifically the tone. Dylan Potts’s snare and kicks have a distinctly organic sound that both compliments and enhances the rest of the music, especially the sustained 32nd notes over the slow clean guitars in “Doomsday Death Trap”. That part, along with many others, just wouldn’t have had the same impact had they not taken the time to dial in and perfect that very specific timbre. It’s a minute detail, but it goes a very long way. I’ve been a fan of Potts since he lent his talents to last year’s Nothing Comes From Death, an excellent album from tech death newcomers Distention, and admittedly I only learned that he was also the drummer on Disquisition after the fact. I’ll just chalk that one up to not paying close enough attention, I suppose. In any case, his performance on this album shows that the man has no intentions of slowing down anytime soon, and I’m here for it.
The riffs themselves, on the other hand, are where things got a little inconsistent for me. The title track and “Debt to the Dark” both felt very generic, although the former does have the distinct advantage of a guest vocal appearance by Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg (which will never be easy to type). They’re heavy, but they just don’t really do anything to stand out. But then on the other side of the coin, I was very impressed with the way the tension was ramped up to a fever pitch both before and during the massive final breakdown in “Letania Infernalis”, which features another beastly guest appearance from Suffocation’s Ricky Meyers.
“Feel My Fangs in You” also felt a little too slow for my tastes, but it does have a cool guitar solo to balance it out at least, and I’m sure the hardcore kids will still have no trouble beating the snot out of each other along to it. In my opinion, “Body of a Bastard” is a much better example of how to pull off a slower song without sacrificing any of the heaviness. It’s interspersed with brief bursts of speed, it’s got some interesting bluesy guitar licks that are different from everything else on the album, and there is a lot more variety in the vocal performance, all of which make it much more engaging to listen to.
For my money though, the strongest song on the entire album is the closing track “Thirst for Extinction”. That one is a certified banger that pulls out all the stops to deliver a devastating final blow, and its only drawback is that it ends very abruptly. But then again, leaving the consumer wanting more is a great way to sell any kind of product, so it makes sense when you look at it from that perspective. Either way, more of this, please.
At the end of the day, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with No Name Graves. I might not be the biggest fan of deathcore as a whole, but when done right- i.e. with flair, ferocity, grit, and a genuine sense of style- it’s easy to see why it’s become one of the most dominant subgenres on the market. The Last Ten Seconds of Life definitely did it right on this one, even if I did have a few minor gripes which ultimately boil down to personal preference. Regardless, it’s always impressive to see a band make lemonade out of lemons, especially when the end result is something as ballsy as this. Well done, boys.
The Last Ten Seconds of Life’s No Name Graves drops Friday, February 9 via Unique Leader Records. Preorder your copy here.
