Beyond the pointless introductory track, “Behold the Creator” immediately marks what Inhuman Architects are trying to achieve: Unique Leader-core deathcore. Deep grooves, a thick guitar tone and a brickwalled master characterize the release, which shifts between brutal battery and slower breakdowns. The vocals similarly switch between deep, guttural growls and higher screams, both of which you’ll know if you’ve heard the subgenre before. Streaks of technical death metal are also apparent through the speed and heaviness of much of the music, although it lacks the extreme technicality as most riffs are fairly straight-forward. Paradoxus isn’t defined by variety but “Nephilim” also merits mention as its back half layers guitar lines in a way which generates a little more atmosphere than is otherwise is apparent throughout; it lightly recalls Xenobiotic.
Inhuman Architects adopt a direct song-writing style with big, obvious leads and it’s consequently the couple of moments which deviate from this which stand out. The aforementioned “Nephilim,” and “Nibiru’s Wrath” which follows, feature interlocking melodies in a couple of places which go a long way to giving me a bit more to think about while listening. Otherwise, one core riff dominates most tracks and while they sometimes have immediate impact, they struggle to go beyond this by maintaining my attention. Paradoxus is surprisingly tame and predictable for such an energetic subgenre. It’s tough to write involving and thoughtful deathcore, and some may argue that’s not the point, but when there are so many other bands doing a similar thing, why listen to this album? I haven’t conjured a good response to this question. Even “Nephilim,” the track I enjoy the most, is far from essential. This leaves the remainder sitting somewhere between sub-standard and boring.
So the core issue is that the songs are generally blasting but boring. Only a few of the breakdowns and occasional guitar solos recapture my attention where the rest blurs. Even the breakdowns, which should make me want to smash stuff, don’t bother me. I zone in and out of listens and found the most effective way to ensure my focus is to pause between each track which is hardly an indicator of an incredible listening experience. It’s a strange paradox(us); deathcore should demand my attention but this record does not. After six full listens you could play me a one-minute snippet from almost anywhere on the record and I wouldn’t be able to place it. I’m not demanding catchy music which conveniently includes the track’s title in the chorus lyrics but I should be able to distinguish one track from the next. The best extreme metal releases have awesome individual songs separated by distinct leads and song-writing but here that’s not the case.
The result is a record which has a lot of the ingredients but none of the subtlety. A lot of the riffs but none of the memorability. I expect Inhuman Architects are the sort of band which would significantly improve in a live setting given their energy, breakdowns and mastering (which would not be an issue live…) but on their recording I’m bored. Paradoxus lacks the visceral energy on which bands like this rely and what’s left isn’t remotely good enough to encourage my recommendation.
Rating: 1.5/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Vicious Instinct Records
Websites: facebook.com/inhumanarchitects
Releases Worldwide: July 16th, 2021
