EP Review: Hell Comes Home – Dying Breed (Self Released)

A new name about to make waves in modern metal, Hell Comes Home, are set to release their debut EP, titled Dying Breed, on the 31st of January.

Formed in Northwest Arkansas, Hell Comes Home is a heavy metal band inspired by deathcore, metalcore, and classic metal. Founding members Sam Simmons (vocals) and Nick Stambuck (guitar) shared a mutual love for the aggressive sound and genuine nature of heavy metal and forged their sound to share their artistic work through raw energy and intricate musicality that define the genre. Hell Comes Home’s music combines brutal riffs, complex solos, and piercing vocals from the depths of hell, with assertive atmospheric elements.

With a mix of influences ranging from early Bring Me the Horizon and Suicide Silence, to All Shall Perish and Trivium, to Iron Maiden and Megadeth, Hell Comes Home use all of those influences to carve their own niche in metal combining elements of all from those genres. Singles from Dying breed started being released late last year and the bands fanbase has grown massively, thanks also to comments on their stage presence and that they stay true to their genre’s core tenets.

Dying Breed was mixed and mastered by Stoneridge Records and comes with awesome artwork courtesy of Ebonpyrestudio. 

Our 5 tracks get underway with Demons and it gets straight to the point. A neat little drum intro then we head straight into a blast of meaty riffs, blast beats and harsh vocals. I love the vocals, they have power, but also mix up the tone with some nice heavy harmonising. I was surprised when they suddenly switched to cleans but, after my initial surprise passed, I really love that. It means we have such a wide range of vocals delivered with different ranges and tones of both harsh and clean vocals. All of that is wrapped up in a steady paced song packing plenty of power that will have you banging your head. It’s a strong start that continues with the title track, Dying Breed.

The pace and intensity picks up further with some dirty guttural roars, a really impressive drum beat and strong riffs. The chorus has catchiness to it, helped by the little clean vocal sections and we get a downright filthy breakdown packing crunchy riffs, intermittent drums and demonic growls. In all of the heaviness though, outside of the breakdown, the guitars deliver enough of a melodic touch to keep things from getting too extreme. It’s really good metal this – plenty of groove and rhythm, and in a positive way, just very comfortable to listen to.

Honor is Everything really brings the rhythm with the catchiest of riff and drum intros. A nice bit of variety here with how the vocals are used as we start with subdued cleans. The heaviness grows as the track evolves but is well balanced between bringing really meaty heaviness and catchy, groove based metal. I love the flow of this song, it keeps you engaged and shows a bit more of what Hell Comes Home have to offer with a wicked guitar solo and more of those supremely impressive drum beats. There isn’t a drummer listed in the press pack so they may be programmed but you can’t tell – they have an authentic sound to them if they are.

Sic Semper Tyrannis is our penultimate track and feels an angrier track. It still delivers a lot of really cool touches and again the drums stand out. It’s a fiery track that demands a mosh pit, really delivering on the guttural vocals as we get near pig squealing territory at some points. There is a lot packed into the track though too, with plenty of work in the breakdown but also a couple screaming solos too, all packed into less than 3 and a half minutes of music.

So we reach the end of Dying breed with the closing track, The Other Side. We drop down in pace to more of that steadier groove based riffing. The sort that forces your head to bang along with the effective beat. Drums impress and the flow of vocals really works, staying harsh you get a line at a dark tone, followed by a line at a higher tone and the contrast is great. Chuck in a wicked solo that drips emotion and you have a fitting track to close out a really strong EP.

Hell Comes Home have delivered a really strong debut here with Dying breed. It has a bit of an old school feel to it. Not like traditional metal, but just when metal was less expansive and more about the song. Short, sharp blasts of drums, riffs and vocals that get your adrenaline flowing and your head moving. I really like this and while there is a bit of a “debut” sound to the production, it just adds to that feeling that you are listening to some authentic metal. They have a lot going for them but where they excel here is with the basics. Great vocals, catchy and heavy riffs, strong solos and songs that flow and keep you engaged from the opening note to the last. This is good metal.

Tracklist:

1. Demons
2. Dying Breed
3. The Other Side
4. Honor Is Everything
5. Sic Semper Tyrannis

Hell Comes Home Links

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