Djent is a popular ‘genre’ of metal that is both loved and
hated. I’m not going to delve into the history of Djent because it’s an oft
discussed topic which is fairly easily researched online. I will say that Djent
can get very ‘samey’ quickly but there are also gems to be found. I was in the
mood for some djenty stuff so on this venture through bandcamp I went
searching, and found something really good.
I found a band by the name of Cardona, who hail from Atlanta,
Georgia and have just recently put out their first EP entitled Seasons. (Technically they had a 2 track EP before this, but I'm not sure 2 tracks really counts. Especially since one of those tracks is on this album.) It’s a 7 track ambient djenty
beast that is chock full of good stuff. It seems to draw inspirations from the
likes of The Contortionist, and Vildjharta.
While we’re talking about Vildjharta and The Contortionist,
I may as well talk about the ambience in the album seeing as It feels very
inspired by both of those bands. It’s really well done and establishes the
dissonant and bleak tone of the album. Daniel Adel, the vocalist for Vildjharta
also appears on the title track ‘Seasons’!
The vocals overall remind me of a bit of Scott Lewis’ vocals
from Carnifex. There are these great gutturals with some nasty high vocals to
accent them with. The vocals are at the forefront of the mix it seems to, and
for pretty good reason. Samuel Mirville’s vocals are pretty stellar.
The guitars are a good blend of deathcore inspired riffs
with more technical aspects thrown in fairly often. I wouldn’t call it
technical deathcore, but it’s much better than just straight breakdown chugs.
And speaking of breakdowns, there aren’t really any on here, which is a bit of
a relief. I don’t mind breakdowns, but they wouldn’t have really fit with what
these guys are going for in my opinion.
Overall the album is pretty awesome, especially for a debut EP. The ambient aspects really shine
throughout, and really help bring the entire album together as a whole. I’m
really excited to see what these guys do in the future. If you are a fan of
Djent, or any of the above mentioned bands, I’d definitely recommend giving
Cardona a listen. You can stream Season
for free via their bandcamp or you can buy it there for $5! Also be sure to
give them a shout and like on their facebook!
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