Earth Crisis have reptile theme for this album holds true as the band has definitely shed a layer of skin on this album abandoning the dominant hardcore approach taken in past releases and heading off into a thicker metalcore/nu metal direction. This album is as close to auditory venom as it gets, angry and provoked the band stomps through furious beats and caustic growls fatally injuring the listener with the verbal shrapnel bombs that are tossed out with authority. Heavy and dynamic, the group retains a sound of its own but has taken quite a departure from its past catalog, similar in aspects to the change of style Machine Head made on their last album "The Burning Red", a fresher more new metal sound rings out loud and clear on this albums 13 tracks. Vocally Karl is still in prime form assaulting with guttural vocals and brash screams, his melodic aspects are still in place and feel a bit more spacey this time around as they are sometimes assisted by effects, but the most shocking aspect of his performance here is the addition of Biohazard like rap verses. It's not really a constant or contrived rapcore style, as there is some very distinct hip hop influence pumped into his flows and although it may seem trendy, it works extremely well. The usual suspects of lyrical content are tackled here from the anti substance anthem of "Killing Brain Cells" to the pulsing anti cloning and anti animal testing crunchfest of "Biomachines". Guitars are infected with some of the sickest tones and riffs conceived and slash out of the speakers slapping the listener senseless with viciousness and a hostile swagger. Grinding and diseased sounding, they have a take no prisoners feel and build a dense wall trading off parts and weaving an all out heavy blitz of metalcore wrath. Bass is a bit moderate in contrast to its highend partners and focus more on paving the way for the thrashing drumwork. Downtuned, heavy and raw percussive hits flatten into rolling basslines that heave a dull rumble throughout the disc giving the ever necessary punch and brawn. Drums meanwhile pound out solid beats that are confident and possess enough flair to compliment the chaotic guitar riff driven song structures and are garnished by some double kick bursts that thump out deadly patterns and militant rolls. Impressive yet compact, the sound achieved by bands drummer Dennis on this record is a definitive bright point of the bands sound. Some programming in the form of 808 feeling hits explode on a few of the tracks, but don't announce themselves loudly enough to garner too much attention as their inclusion is quite sparse. "Slither" is perhaps one of the most explosive lp's of loud music released in recent years, as the band goes off with the grace of an aural nailbomb, and with the recent interest in progressively heavier music and the commercial acceptance of it, this CD is sure to turn the band onto to the herds of kids waiting for a new fix. The bad part is the fans who have loved and supported this band for years will most likely be alienated by the groups new style and ideas. In fact with the metalcore sound being so firmly in place here and the inclination for some bands to evolve out of their hardcore roots continuing, this band will no doubt suffer a backlash similar to the ones experienced by Vision Of Disorder and Machine Head from the narrow minded faithful's. But even with all this, its undeniable that what the band has created here is a sonic wrecking ball that barrels through from start to finish with focused virulent aggression. Earth Crisis are on the brink of what very well could be there break through release to a more commercial audience on this album, and as the tendency for hardcore influenced bands to evolve further into the realm of metalcore continues, these boys are at the head of the pack.
(4 / 5)