REJECT THE SICKNESS hailing from Ghent, Belgium were formed in 2007. They play a mix of melodic Death Metal and Metalcore and released two EPs and three full-length albums so far. Album number four was mixed by Christian Svedin (ABLAZE MY SORROW; BLOODLIT) and mastered by Thomas Johansson (DEGRADED; DYNAZTY; ELEINE). “Signs Of The End” has a length of about 42 minutes, and it is an independent release. The album has a strong start with devastating guitar riffs and plenty of double-bass drumming at mid-tempo. The vocals are growls and vary around the medium end of the guttural range with some shifts towards lower growls but also some higher pitched screams. “The Messenger” has plenty of aggression, which is mainly driven by the vocals and the direct guitar riffing. The break slows down the track a bit towards a measured tempo with tight guitar riffs and a few lead guitar contributions. Altogether, “The Messenger” is a strong start to the album, and the track has been released as video with the YouTube link provided below. “Acta Non Verba” keeps it going with the pace and aggression of the opening track. It is a mixture of mid-tempo verse parts, while at the end of the bridge there is a shift towards measured tempo for the chorus parts. The bridge includes short blast-beat thunderstorms, and the chorus parts include a lot of double-bass drumming. The guitar riffing is tight for most of the time. The break includes a lead guitar solo, and this part has many Metalcore vibes. “Dark Times” has a fast and aggressive start, leading into a verse part at a measured tempo. The melodies are dark, and the sound is driven by the punishing guitar riffs, the strong basslines, and the aggression in the vocals. The track has many transitions and shifts in tempo, rhythm, and sound. On top of this are the vocals with plenty of versatility in the growls. The track is complex in its song structure, and there are many sound elements coming together, including a few atmospheric elements.

“Wea fastlave Angels” starts with powerful guitar riffs and some melancholy in the melodies, however, it transitions quickly into a blast-beat thunderstorm and tight and aggressive guitar riffing at a fast pace. The lead guitars play an important role throughout the track as they provide a grim melodic framework. There are a lot of shifts in tempo and rhythm throughout the track, where blast-beat and double-bass driven parts alternate with slow atmospheric parts with melancholic melodies. “Fall From Grace” starts with the drums, transitioning into an epic pre-lude at a measured tempo. Finally, the track transitions into a mid-tempo track with devastating guitar riffing, plenty of aggression, and a few HEAVEN SHALL BURN vibes in the sound. There are subtle rhythm changes throughout the track with a few parts included at a measured tempo. The guitar riffs are tight and staccato-like at times. There is a short break leading to a very contributing lead guitar solo. Although the lead guitars make an important contribution to the album, lead guitar solos are the rarity, and if there is one, it is relatively short. “When I Became You” is introduced by tight guitar riffs and a double-bass thunderstorm at fast pace, leading into the verse part. The track develops into a mixture of fast parts and head-banging parts with the relentless drumming driving the track forward. The guitar riffing is thunderous at times, in particular during the slower parts.

“Chaos Versus Chaos” starts with plenty of aggression and punishing riffs at a fast pace. The guitar riffs are very direct and supported by a lot of double-bass drumming. The vocals are once again very versatile and offer growls across almost the whole guttural range. The break is played at a measured tempo with a stomping rhythm, starts with the lead guitar solo and finishes with a short atmospheric part and spoken words. The lead guitars are not restricted to the break; they contribute throughout the track and give it an additional layer. “Chaos Versus Chaos” is one of my album favorites. The album ends with the title track, and after a short orchestral pre-lude, it transitions into a mid-tempo track with powerful guitar riffing. The melodies are darker than most on the album and feature some melancholy. Altogether, the track is a bit easier to-listen to with a simple verse/chorus/break structure and some catchiness in the melodies. “Signs Of The End” is one of the longest album tracks with a playing time of almost seven minutes, and it is a good way to end the album.

REJECT THE SICKNESS deliver a good mixture of melodic Death Metal and Metalcore. “Signs Of The End” has pace, aggression, punishing guitar riffs, relentless drumming, but is also melodic with dark melodies and features some melancholy in the melodies at times. The album sound is driven by many subtle twists and turns in tempo and rhythm. All is kept expertly together by the versatility of an excellent vocalist. The album is well produced. “Signs Of The End” is one of the best melodic Death Metal/Metalcore albums I listened to in recent times, and I am sure that fans of those genres will be delighted with the album.