Symphonic blackened deathcore – it’s a thing now, right? – has gained significant traction since Lorna Shore’s 2022 effort Pain Remains. While Will Ramos’ demonic pig squeals dominated YouTube reaction channels, the brilliant instrumental efforts by the rest of the band garnered lots of attention. While Mental Cruelty's execution of their style is similar to Lorna Shore, their approach hasn’t always been this way. 2018’s Purgatorium was straight slamming deathcore, and 2019’s Inferis maintained the core sound with a more melodic approach but was somewhat disappointing.
The band introduced symphonic elements to their sound with their 2021 output A Hill to Die Upon. While the record was a clear step in the right direction, it had some production issues. Despite the shining performances, it was sometimes hard to discern what was happening. However, don't get me wrong; I still have some production issues with Zwielicht, but I think that's the curse of deathcore, right?
I'm actually not sure if Zwielicht should be labeled as a deathcore album. While all the bree and pig squeals are still there, the symphonic elements and riffing styles have strong black metal foundations. Symphonic blackened deathcore should be enough in that case. Their genre-merging infusion shows itself right here. Zwielicht is both atmospherically and musically Mental Cruelty's best effort to date, without a doubt. And that atmosphere I mentioned is mainly due to the black metal elements. You'll feel that right after the symphonic intro piece Midtvinter, when the first note of Obsessis a Daemonio hits. That track is a basic summary of the rest of the album. While the clear black metal influence shows itself, the strong deathcore foundation reveals itself after the drums hit.
I have to admit, symphonic elements make my deathcore experience more tolerable. We're halfway through the review, and I'm revealing that I'm not a huge fan of deathcore. Yeah, sometimes I hate those pig squeals, and some of the breakdown moments of Zwielicht clearly bring the vibe down for me because of Lukas Nicolai’s vocal delivery choices. While his performance is worth admiration, it's hard for some listeners to adapt to some of the sounds he makes. But, hell, it’s working when the brutal breakdown hits! About the 4-minute mark of Forgotten Kings is a strong example of this. The band knows how to create anticipation, and delivering the drop after those moments is not an easy thing to do.
Zwielicht's strong side is its melodies, that’s a sure thing. Keeping a heavy record like this engaging for 48 minutes is hard. If there wasn’t clearer production, this review would be so different from what it is right now. The fact that we're able to hear the melancholy in the melodies amidst the slamming is magnificent. That is my main complaint for most modern deathcore-influenced records. While Pain Remains is clearly a stronger record in terms of technicality, songwriting, and overall atmosphere, the muddy and loud production choices make the album very hard to listen to from front to back. In terms of production and clarity, Mental Cruelty does it well and delivers one of the strongest extreme symphonic releases in recent years. Hats off to these gentlemen for making me appreciate a deathcore-influenced record once again.
Highlights:
Obsessis a Daemonio
Forgotten Kings
Mortal Shells
Symphony of a Dying Star
A Tale of Salt and Light
Rating: 7.5 / 10
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