Blurring the lines between melodic death metal and metalcore, Odium’s newest effort, Terraform manages to do both justice without sacrificing any heaviness or songwriting chops. These can indeed be some tricky waters to travel down without sounding too Gothenburg-esque or allowing the ‘core elements to seep in, so it’s a testament to Odium that they can execute the formula with such precision.
Odium operates at the heavier end of the spectrum, with plenty of burly, groove-filled riffs taking center stage along with some melodically driven harmonies. Strange to say, the most monstrous and memorable riffs occur in “The Cell,” which is an instrumental track that starts with juicy leadwork before heading into neckbreaking riffs on the backend. Some more standouts can be found in the brutal and blast-friendly “Centipedes” and the galloping “Redemption.” On the more melodic end, “Return to Form” balances softer clean singing with some driving guitar runs, and “Obsolete” fires off intricate melodies between groovy riffs with plenty of flair. The vocals are what tend to draw the metalcore comparisons most strongly, with the barked shouts and clean/harsh dynamics not being out of line for the movement, but for what it’s worth, they fit perfectly among the heavier riffs and occasional melodies.
The waters are a bit well-tread with regard to these genres, but Odium does a good job of attempting to make the formula theirs. The riffs carry a strong amount of punch behind them, and there’s no denying the execution that Terraform operates in. Those looking for some modern metal that keeps things on the more brutal end of the spectrum should be pleased with this one.