REVIEW: Mélancolia - random.access.misery

What's better than starting your album with a bit of fry screams? Absolutely nothing, and this is exactly how Mélancolia’s upcoming release random.access.misery kicks off! Bringing us ten new songs, Mélancolia did not hold back for a second while making their debut album with Declan White. Inspired by metal goliaths such as Korn, Slipknot, Mudvayne and Spineshank, as well as giving a nod to Whitechapel and Vein.fm, the Australian quintet created brain-tearing sounds that seamlessly transfer from one to another.

‘ALL_IS_RUST’ acts as the introductory song for the album, setting the scene before the one-two punch of ‘icanseethroughtheholesinmyhands’ and ‘Picking Scabs’. All three elevate the listening experience to maximum, through their gnarly, raw and absolutely merciless atmosphere. While the first two tracks mentioned are all about heavy guitar riffs and drums, ‘Picking Scabs’ incorporates more electronic components, creating a type of music that fits perfectly with Alex Hill’s vocals.

In ‘boiler.room’, the listener can hear a different approach to the band’s style. Starting off with a slower melody carried by Joshua Taafe (guitar), Billy Morris (guitar), Toby Thomas (bass and backing vocals) and Mason Page (drums), Hill’s vocals shift from melodic to fry screams, as the narrative quickly changes into heavily influenced sounds. The audience is also met with synths once again, and it seems that this sound becomes the band’s foundation throughout the entire album.

Next up comes the two guest appearances on random.access.misery, with only one track to divide them, and not only are they both excellent, they also both incorporate themselves into the style flawlessly. ‘Lithia’, featuring Hunter Young, as well as ‘SPIT!’ with Christopher Mackertich, both offer full blast guitars, drums, bass and screams. Notably on ‘SPIT!’, the listener can hear the clear influence of the likes of Korn and Slipknot, which are incorporated flawlessly and elevate the overall sound of the song. The sudden rap part in the song does come as quite a surprise, but it fits in perfectly - as if like a glove.

The feature divider, ‘RoseBloomWrist’, and the titular ‘random.access.misery’ come next, and the band once again do not hold back. Although there aren't many moments in the album when the music quiets down for a bit and leaves space for the audience to process the music and lyrics, Mélancolia put a beautifully haunting bridge in ‘random.access.misery’, with just the backing vocals, piano, drums and synths playing, adding a bit of variety to their debut album and allowing for some much-needed breathing space.

The last two songs, ‘Cold Now…’ and ‘…Colder Still’ are arguably the heaviest songs on the whole album. The two-song saga is the perfect ending for such a unique album, as it has everything the listeners need – heavy fry screams, unforgiving drums and punchy riffs, as well as the occasional synths that are only complementary to the overall melody. ‘Cold Now…’ brings a merciless, emotive breakdown, and transitions right into ‘…Colder Still’, which starts slowly, but only to continue with the same intensity as its predecessor and finish the album with a flourish.

Mélancolia have put everything into making random.access.misery, and it's abundantly obvious that their emotional lyrics and precise melodies will resonate with their fans. Although sometimes the songs felt like they had too many sounds going on at the same time, the songs are still original, raw and full of unforgettable riffs. The debut album is surely a success, and it only leaves one wondering how far the band can go to push its limits to maximum.

Score: 8/10

random.access.misery is coming out on August 29^th via Nuclear Blast Records.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Mélancolia