(Andy Synn has (almost) nothing but praise for the debut album from Daughter Chaos)
We’ve said it before, but it’s always worth stating again, that if it comes to a choice between writing about a “big name” band or an underrated underground artist nine times out of ten we’ll opt for the latter.
That doesn’t mean we’re averse to covering some of the more (in)famous artists now and then – there’s no doubt that doing so on occasion definitely helps raise our profile, which in turn (hopefully) brings more eyes to the smaller bands we cover – but our focus has always been on covering those groups who don’t receive the attention and exposure they deserve.
Case in point, if I had to choose between the latest chart-busting release from Arch Enemy or the long-anticipated debut album from Daughter Chaos… well, the latter was always going to win that battle.
To clarify, the reason I’ve made reference to the work of Amott and co. has nothing to do with the fact that the vocalists from both bands happen to share a similar set of chromosomes – if anything Daughter Chaos‘s rawer, riffier sound shares far more in common with the pre-Gossow era of their Swedish siblings, while the the performance of vocalist/bassist Sara Abrams reminds me more of the dearly-departed Tristessa of Astarte than anyone else – and more to emphasise the massive disparity in terms of each band’s level of hype and exposure.
After all, there’s a solid chance that even those with only a passing knowledge of the more “extreme” edge of the Metal scene will have heard the name Arch Enemy before. But Daughter Chaos? Not so much, especially considering they only have the one EP (their five track, self-titled effort from 2020) to their name.
But, as we all know (or, at least, I hope we all know) “bigger” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”… and you’re not likely to find too many better examples of pure riffosity and superior shreddery than Noble Rot this year.
Don’t believe me? Well, it shouldn’t take long for opener “Earthbound” to convince you, with its unapologetic emphasis on gritty, groovy, galloping guitar work – heavy on both down-picked power and string-skipping precision – and lashings of moody lead melody that combine influences and elements of both Melodic Death masters like Carcass and At The Gates and thrashy legends like Exodus and Testament in equal measure.
If you’re still not convinced then the choppy riffs and stomping rhythms of “Noble Rot” – which shows off even more flashy fretboard fireworks from guitarist Andrew Pevny – and the hammering, hooky intensity of the God Dethroned-esque “Immortality & The Worm” should help change that… and if you need even more convincing then the frantic blast ‘n’ shred of “Pillar of Severity” (which could easily go toe-to-toe and note-for-note against anything from the Black Earth/Stigmata era) should absolutely seal the deal!
Sure, there’s still a few places where Noble Rot errs a little too close to the classic canon (both “Sun Gate” and “The Glistening”, for example, do sometimes feel a little too familiar, as much as I love them) and there’s probably a little room here and there for them to sharpen up their chorus hooks a little more, but the fact remains that – especially during a song as simultaneously vicious, virulent, and vivacious as “The Grand Design” (which I’d argue probably should have been the album closer) – this is one of the strongest debut albums of the year, and an absolute shoe-in for at least a few End of Year lists come December.