Buzzing, swirling straight-up death metal clashing with a chugging hardcore side with tough guy swagger is something that’s been on the rise within the genre. While one could be lazy and just literally label it under ‘metalcore,’ that’s definitely not the vibe that Open Kasket is hitting with their debut, Trials of Failure. More in line with what Dying Fetus or Dyscarnate have done with death metal, there’s a distinctly deathly feeling to the music, permeated by more of a pure hardcore ethos in it’s street-level brutality.
The songs, if the above description didn’t spell it out, are the type that shoot straight and ask questions later. There’s an immediate level of abrasion, brought about from the HM2-esque buzzing of the riffs and midtempo rumblings and the urgency of the barked vocals and in-your-face hardcore energy that goes for the beatdown style. “Should” is a good indicator of what Open Kasket is all about. Crunchy riffs and aggressive barks mark the opening of the song, using just enough hooks to them to grab the listeners ear while simultaneously scraping them with the abrasion. As the music swirls to a flat-out crawl and knuckledragging level chug, things get even more aggressive. An almost hypnotic feeling permeates just as some eerie melodies take centerstage and walk the group back into more death metal inspired elements as the track fades out. “Chain Whip” doles out barbaric riffing for almost all of it’s very short runtime, and the follow-up in “Chemical Death” takes that same energy and gives it more of a deathly spin in terms of it’s sheer heaviness. It’s the play between the hardcore and death metal elements that keep the album fun, and the momentum going.
Trials of Failure is punishing and belligerent in the best of ways. It’s a fun trip through rumbling, caveman-y riffing and frantic chaos, and while the pattern shows itself a bit as the album progresses, there’s no denying the energy and heart are in the right place for this material. It’s full of breakneck grooves and unrelenting brutality, and that’s all you need to enjoy it.