Review of the Sentinel MCD in Aversionline:
Here's some raging, dirge laden metallic hardcore from Sweden with a
raw, crusty undercurrent and a tight, vicious performance that brings in
influences from the His Hero is Gone school on through to some faster and
more frantic grindcore moments. The vocals are raging snarls not unlike At
the Gates, but they're mixed deep in against the music, which really adds a
sense of desperation to the tracks. Everything else sounds really warm and
dense, and the overall mix is completely cohesive with no gaps. There are
tons of awesome drums fills and patterns that shift around, with thick and
open chord progressions allowing plenty of dissonance and texture to ring
through. "Swelling Heart" opens with a brief segment of clean guitars and
pulls along at a much slower and darker pace, using a number of disharmonic
notes amongst both intense blasts and slightly more melodic chord
progressions; whereas the title track is far more caustic and disharmonic,
perhaps one of the few tracks that feels a bit long for its offerings.
Though, admittedly, I find it interesting that the bulk of these songs run
more than five minutes and change back and forth enough to feel like several
shorter songs that somehow do feel connected and not like a random jumble of
alternating riffs. The layout is very minimal using only black and a
brownish yellow printed on mate off white paper. I like the lyrics because
they seem to mix the personal and the political in an atypical manner that
makes you wonder what the actual intent is without being forced into any
certain interpretation. "Your mouth is a tunnel of laws and regulations,
and you consume me. Convulsively grind me to a cartilage of control. Me?"
Very cool stuff overall. I definitely prefer the moderately paced side of
things, as some of the fast riffing and chaotic leanings aren't really
hitting me, but the band balances things out well and keeps the atmosphere
very consistent. Good work.
Running time 20:23, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Newborn, Swelling Heart]
7/10