Oathbreaker
Eros|Anteros
Deathwish Inc.
Street: 08.20
Oathbreaker = Converge + Birds In Row + Young And In The Way
Eros|Anteros should be more enjoyable than it is—it’s like going to a restaurant where the menu looks amazing and the food is decent, but you won’t recall what you ate the next day. That’s where Oathbreaker’s latest falls. Maybe it’s that it sounds too close to Converge at times—perhaps this is Converge’s Kurt Ballou’s fault. Oathbreaker’s riffs are blistering, and the drumming pumps out some raging D-beat, but it just doesn’t stick. Eros|Anteros is adrift in a sea of bands working within the sludge/hardcore/blackened metal realm, which is too bad because there are interesting musical ideas to be found. “The Abyss Looks Into Me” marks the high point of the album, finding a balance between sludge, clean vocals and a build to a satisfying catharsis. It finally gives some bite to an album which should be a kick in your teeth from the start. –Peter Fryer