Alumni
Decohesion
Self-Released
Street: 09.02
Alumni = Chelsea Grin + vintage All Shall Perish

This is EP number two for these dudes of deathcore, which is always nice to see: a band with work ethic keepin’ on. They scored an impressive guest spot on “Decohesion (II)” with CJ McMahon of Thy Art Is Murder, but it’s not like their vocalists needed the help. The album is full of very strong highs and lows, and the kind of lyrical ennunciation that jerk prose-pushers like me appreciate—not just for the sake of pretty words, but because it actually does add a new variable to an otherwise generic sound that can be an exploited strength. I love the drums on this thing, like a rolling stampede of Mongol hordes through a mountain valley. The mixing is really clean, if a little on the sterile side, and I feel like there is some depth missing from the songwriting, even compared to their previous effort, Zoo, but I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly needs tweaking. Nevertheless, all the tools to fix it are within reach of a band as dedicated as Alumni appear to be. –Megan Kennedy