Umbra

Billy Boy in Poison

Deathcore rarely moves me. It all seems a bit generic and interchangeable. Two vocalists who […]
By Hutch
January 3, 2022
Billy Boy in Poison - Umbra album cover

Deathcore rarely moves me. It all seems a bit generic and interchangeable. Two vocalists who shout angrily at each other, blast beats that are like road drills, thumping bass that merely opens out a huge booming sound and cookie monster vocals along with guitar sounds that merely chug along with the riff. And although there is a bit of groove from Copenhagen's BILLY BOY IN PRISON (surely one of the most ridiculously laughable names in metal), their latest album which was released almost four months ago is inevitably about as average as it comes.

With a chunky, muscular sound, the Danes give it a good go, but I must be honest, it's tepid stuff for a band with such anger issues. Their most recent 2017 album, "Invoker", was savaged like a dead sheep on the Metal Archives and whilst this album will earn more respect than the previous one, it's difficult to remember a single song after it finished.

In fact, one might even say that each song is on a repeat, such is the familiarity with which track presents. Vocals that rage and scream rarely hit the seminal heights of WHITECHAPEL, LORNA SHORE or SUICIDE SILENCE, but seem to adopt a hybrid Randy Blythe screamo approach, meaning that for much of the time it's simply tolerating the wired vocalist whilst picking out any nuggets.

It's all a bit repetitive and none of the songs seem to stick after they have finished. Perhaps the exception to that is the explosive segments on "Kissed by the Sun" although this still morphs into deathcore by numbers in parts. Blisteringly heavy it may be, but it's also a bit boring overall. This may be blasphemy to those who enjoy this type of music, and I admit that the crushing intensity does at least provide some redeeming feature, but a couple of plays leave nothing sticking and I'm not gagging to get it playing again. So, with apologies to BILLY BOY IN POISON, it's another that fails to float this reviewer's boat.

4 / 10

Nothing special

Songwriting

4

Musicianship

4

Memorability

3

Production

5
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"Umbra" Track-listing:

1. Lost It All
2. Blinded
3. Umbra
4. Supremacy
5. White Hills
6. Before we Erase It
7. Kissed by the Sun
8. Black Sky
9. The Ancient One
10. Temptress

Billy Boy in Poison Lineup:

Hjalte Serr Bertelsen: Vocals
Alexander Mortensen: Guitar
Mikkel Ellung Larsen: Guitar
Troels Anne-Grethe Lehman: Bass & Vocals
Niclas Mortensen: Drums

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