Having formed in Slovenia in 2010, Within Destruction began life as a deathcore band who drew favourable comparisons with the likes of Suicide Silence before a change in personnel found them drifting towards nu-metal/metalcore sound. However, no matter in what guise the band appeared they were always guaranteed to set speakers alight, so new album ANIMETAL comes laden with a weight of expectation. Featuring a dozen tracks that push at the boundaries of heavy music, Within Destruction once again turn heavy music inside out and render it in new form.
In many ways, Animetal can been viewed as the summation of a 15 year journey. When the band moved from deathcore towards trap metal with Yōkai in 2020 it was perhaps one of the bravest stylistic shifts in metal, Lotus in 2022 continued that trajectory and their latest long player continues that exploration and finds the band incorporating more electronic and anime influences (hence the title) whilst remaining uncompromisingly heavy. If proof were ever needed to the punch that the band pack then we need look no further than opening shot ‘ANIMETAL’. There’s no time for fancy introductions, just a monster of a riff that appears like a surprise blow between the eyes, and one you don’t see until it makes a daze-inducing connection. What’s most impressive is that the band are currently operating as a trio with the sound they create far bigger than their constituent parts. They are a power trio in the purest definition, distilling heavy music into its purest definition; there’s no excess fat here and the reduced numbers only adds to their power. Of course, the band aren’t all bludgeon, there’s plenty of light to contrast their shade and the anime samples they implant add a litheness, whilst the menace with which they stalk on ‘KANASHIBARI’ could swing with Sabbath (and possibly win).
While ANIMETAL is not a concept album per se, the themes of personal struggles and the crushing weight of external pressures give the record a unified feel. As such, this is the kind of record you can quite easily consume in one sitting as the band take us from the hardcore blast of ‘FATE // SEPARATE’ via the groove laden ‘CYBERGIRL’ to the heart wrenching ‘INCOMPLETE’ and all while staying true to their core sound. ANIMETAL is an album that takes many twists and turns that often becomes a white knuckle ride and never fails to throw up surprises along the way, and no more so than on closer ‘A LOVE THAT SLOWLY DIED’, a truly cataclysmic conclusion that suggests there’s much more to come from this crew.
It’s always a risky business when a band shift styles, yet it is one Within Destruction have undertaken with success largely because of the authenticity with which they operate. They’ve simply grown as a band as they’ve grown as people and that means ANIMETAL will satisfy their legions of fans while attracting many new admirers.
- ANIMETAL is released via Sumerian Records on 11th April 2025.
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Track List:
1. ANIMETAL
2. DEMON CHILD
3. KANASHIBARI
4. BITTER EMBRACE
5. FATE // SEPARATE
6. CYBERGIRL
7. INCOMPLETE
8. STAY 4EVER
9. AUTOMATON
10. HIDE & SICK
11. TORMENT
12. A LOVE THAT SLOWLY DIED
