I don't really know what exactly it was that intrigued me about this record. It might've been the unusual visual aesthetic, the curious singular guest vocalist that I didn't expect, or maybe it was just a window shopping cherry pick that made it to the ears, having seen bogdanhxc listen and talk about it.
It sure as hell is a fun as FUCK album though, this shit slaps. It's such a fun heavy, like a more playful version of Brand Of Sacrifice. The band definitely has little bounds in technique, and their music has a lot of insanity and cool moments alongside great electronic and soundscape work.
Their guitarists love the pitch shifter pedal, that's for sure, but they make really fun and cool riffs and moments out of it, so I really can't complain. There's a sizeable number of moments in this record that revolve around a sudden super high note riff, but they sure are fun to listen to. Some of them even score a stankface from me, which is not the easiest thing to do. The one in Nightmare especially smacks the most, so quick and to the point.
Their drummer is a beast, by the way. He doesn't disappoint at all throughout the album, but goes especially crazy on P.O.P., and those final few seconds of that song. I didn't even know those speeds were possible on the double kick, and it definitely is a jawdropper if you are hearing it for the first time.
I can't attest to the catchiness of their choruses, because personally none of them stuck for me, but their songwriting is not subpar. It just happens that their song structuring is very unconventional, and I really don't always know where I'm at in the song. For what it's worth though, there is no song on this record, and no part in any song, that feels weird or off. Everything fits, everything makes sense, and for the most part, everything sounds really cool.
I didn't expect to see LiL Lotus here, that's for sure. I'm more familiar with his work in If I Die First, and while I know he is comfortable with heavy, I didn't expect him to bring his pop punk side to Within Destruction's electronic metalcore/deathcore sound, and although I am a tiny bit disappointed he didn't scream much, his incorporation throughout the song is commendable.
I can't say that the record is extremely memorable, but it definitely is fun to listen to. None of the songs are a miss, it just happens to be that not many of them are a hit either. Neo-Yakuza sure is funny but not a repeater, P.O.P. is heavy beyond belief but still doesn't stick around that much, and Ultima is a pretty cool instrumental track reminiscent of Polyphia yet still not something I'd go out of my way to play.
I think at the end of it, Lotus is the kind of record that I will never mind playing but doesn't really come to mind a lot either. It has a very fun and playful metalcore sound but just doesn't do too well in leaving a lasting impression on me. Regardless, still a cool record to have experienced and definitely worth listening.
Rating: 7/10