Splinters

Awesome doom - death crust album!!! Worth buying this album for sure!!!

Awesome album, jewel case was slightly cracked, but other than that, CD was in great condition!

Greg McIntosh is pretty good at this death metal thing. A bit doomier than A Fragile King was, but it still retains that crusty grind vibe too. And those haunting guitar melodies! This was meant to be played at maximum volume to scare the neighbors.

the new vallenfyre album is killer they added a old school celtic frost morbid tales feel to this cd slow crushing grooves better than their 1st cd.for fans of grave,celtic frost(morbid tales era)dismember and bolt thrower.crushing new release from these guys pick this cd up-mandatory

With a line up consisting of members of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and At the Gates, Vallenfyre made themselves known with the 2011 debut "A Fragile King" and has since gained a fairly good amount of attention for their more old school and moody take on death metal. The main force behind this metal project started by Gergor Mackintosh of Paradise Lost has sort of a vent for the guitarist as a way to deal with the passing of his father in 2009. Such themes of mourning and depression was heavily present of the band's debut, both musically and lyrically, as most songs had a moody and slower pace and tone to match up with the saddened and emotive lyrics. This aspect was one of the things that made me like the debut so much, as the aspect of it going in a bit of a different direction, adding emotion, a little technicality and melody like it did while still remaining inside the boundaries of a familiar brand of traditional death metal made the album very, very enjoyable. But with "Splinters" the doomier side of the band's sound has been pulled back a bit in place for a much more abrasive and punchier sound, creating a noticeable change that "Splinters" brings is that it is considerably more diverse than "A Fragile King" with plenty of nice grooves, more melodies and has more of an evolved feel, with these ultra grimy, distortion slathered, harmonios (at times depressing) riffs and fantastic, in your face drumming, making it closer to more death n' role type sound, something to the effect of Entombed and even Carcass at times. This more abrasive sound makes the a bit easier to get into, more in your face and much more blood pumping than before, but keeps things melodic and memorable. That being said, the doom influence is still very much present, such as on tracks like "Aghast" which is also one of the longest piece on this album, is a brooding dirge filled with some really nice guitar leads and a bleak atmosphere. On the other extreme, the most violent and visceral track would be probably "Instinct Slaughter" which is a no holding back, extreme death metal track. None of the other tracks go too far either way though, but the brooding doom and the visceral death metal bleed into each other really seamlessly, making the sound feel and sound pretty varied, wiether they be fast and brutal death metal tracks or the more emotive and depressed doom tracks. But while the album as a whole is very enjoyable, one thing that Vallenfyre loses points for is their lack of originality. Everything about this record has been done before, and anybody going into it will not find any surprises or new ideas to blow them away with. At its core it is a pretty basic death metal record, and the material it does show off, while good, is nothing new and nothing special and it does take away from the overall appeal of the record a bit when what the music here does doesn't really separate it from bands like Grave or Entombed. But where "Splinters" lacks in originality, it does make up for with this sort of finesse and passion. The music is very tight, very clear, very intense and very enjoyable. It's one to check out, nothing mind blowing or "avant garde" but its a good time and worth listening to.

This band who hails from Halifax, United Kingdom has finally released their second full-length, which has been an eagerly anticipated album for many. This super band incorporates members from various backgrounds, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and At the Gates. Their joint forces deliver a variety of perfectly mixed influences that destroy anything in their path. Trashy, Death, and Doom all have an influence within Splinters. It's cleverly mixed with a high tempo pulse, thriving with dark epic lyrics, scattered pinch notes, and heavy rhythm riffs. This album has to be one of the heavier releases this year. Once the tracks start spinning away, you will be lost in the deep caverns of despair in the lonely passages of your mind. Your puny body waiting to be quartered by the demonic beings that dwell within. This is one of a kind record, prepare your mind, body, and soul to accept its fate, death metal is here to harvest. "Scabs" is a solid opener, its rhythmic consistency lays a solid foundation for the song. The chorus is catchy, while it unifies the dark shadows of riffs that dance on the edges of the track. The force made by the song demonstrates intentional power. This track will throw your emotions through a meat grinder, only to be replaced by hate, malice, and destruction. This track is one of the heaviest produced by the band to date, and an excellent introduction to "Splinters". "Bereft" changes up the tempo and delivers a slower, chunkier, but still rhythmic power, that channels each note onto a crafted board completing an intelligent sound exhibiting a wall strength. The solo near the end is short, but its eerie distortion only amplifies the core sound of what Vallenfyre is aiming to achieve. This closing piece of drifting death will align the following tracks while matching the furiosity already established. One of the amazing aspects of this record is the distortion of the guitars. It's not generally a factor, as heavy, death-like distortions are easy to come by, and many bands harness the aspect of doom and destruction through their various distortions. Vallenfyre is different though, they have been able to capture true doom, torture, and brutal distortion with their guitars. One cannot listen to this album and not be affected by the immense thick, powerful, heavy feeling being dispersed through the speakers. This aspect is a highlight in this CD, as its rarely used to such effect in similar bands. The solos strategically placed through the album are not mind bending and extremely technical, but the tone and mood of the solos will make up for that. The album is fairly long, clocking in at 42 minutes. A few listens straight through will leave your body withered and dying as the draining mood will encapsulate your every breath. Your now darkened lungs will be starving for life by the end of even the first listen.

These guys didn't impress me with their debut, but they certainly did with this one. Magnificently produced. The music is like the best of early 90's Swedish death metal, but brought up to date in sound and more raw. The sound is just out of sight. No sophomore slump from these guys.