Lowlife
Cold Cell
•
August 3, 2015
With frankness, COLD CELL admits their vision of the modern world to be nothing less than a false sense of enlightenment. Through the eyes of the Swiss quintet, society has lost all intellectual capacities, resulting in the devolution of mankind. Surrounded by premeditated lives, shallow beliefs and hollow illusions, the human specie dies, in it's own ''individual human being's prison: The modern new world'', as quoted by the band itself. Expressing these fatalist thoughts through an extreme, underground metal, the five-piece act has been yelling and raging since 2012, with a two-record collection to their credit. Inspiring themselves of each and every facet of our world, distortion and angered drums brilliantly transmit the formation's desolation, or should I say, disgust. Surprisingly, COLD CELL produces an accessible sounding metal... at first sight. As soon as you will dare to look deeper into the first few songs, I can promise madness there will be. Amusing themselves with painful lyrics and brash arrangements, the formation all together construct a 'hard listen', as the musical jargon suggests. Through thick distortion and raucous growls, enraged double kick drums slay your sanity away. With powerful flayed shreds working through a semi-rapid tempo, the five string bass drops with the same echoed, heaviness the drum has. For virtuosos have always created complex work and moving pieces, the formation here delivers a garnished, state-of-the-art record. ''Lowlife'' filled with loathing, pity and repugnance defines unfurling instrumentals and furious, punishing tones. Oriented towards an angry, high-pitch style, the bands music is far from the classic dramatic weighing sound, but still exudes much thrill. The heartbreaking combination of crying guitars merged to the flayed, desperate growl forges a relentless, solid aggression. Meticulously played, the varied rhythms make up for the uniform tone, leaning on black metal.
Throughout the record, a structure repeats itself: With a decent tempo first opening every track, the drums later tend to shift into a rapid, abrasive and destructive rhythm. Frantic poundings and harrowing voices build up into a unique fury, one to make metal proud. ''Lowlife'' has much consistency, for it preaches the ultimate end time message with a continuing intensity throughout the record. With no possible ballad, some moments offer a restful, yet frightening ambiance, but the overall sound tends to get heavier with every song passing by. Polished with occasional fallen choirs and feedback experimentation, the aggressiveness is never quite far, thus creating a palpable hysteria.
Pessimist, somber and bitter, COLD CELL releases upon the world a cold, severe record. Filled with revulsion, the band's passion manifests through their engaged music, and for all the potential they hold, surely impose a menace upon the music industry. Beware, as dramatic ambiances are on their way. Provided with intriguing titles and themes, ''Lowlife'' is the sort of piece you would pick up at any record store without even knowing the band. With a dark and powerful aura radiating from every bit of the album, you just know the listen would feel right... Still, don't get yourself too comfortable, for the end is near!
10 / 10
Masterpiece
"Lowlife
" Track-listing:
1. Lowlife
2. Lifestyle Lunacy
3. Scum Eradication
4. Way To Prevail
5. Idols Of Idiocrasy
6. Needle's Asylum
7. Dogma
8. Proliferation
9. Modern Pestilence (Is Salvation)
Cold Cell Lineup:
S - Vocals
Ath - Guitar
W4 - Guitar
In - Bass, Samples, Backing Vocals
aW - Drums
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