Formed in 2012, in the depths of the metalcore dream, American progressive metalcore quintet SENTINELS was borne. Their self-released EP, "Idylls" in 2013 would be their introduction to the murky world of the underground scene, with their tireless efforts eventually winning the hearts and souls of metalheads across the States, Canada and Europe, earning them headline slots in clubs and more prominent placements at festivals. 2016 would be the year that heralded New Jersey-based SENTINELS as a major new arrival by the metal press, with more opportunities to tour landing in the band's lap.

Fast forward five years, SENTINELS have released their third album, "Collapse by Design".
The crushing weight of intense passages, filthy breakdowns and gnarly melodic elements of the new release is testament to a maturation in the band's sound, and proof of why this tenacious metalcore massive will be standing alongside the shoulders of giants FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY on their impending tour. As an opener, "Epitaph" hits hard with its scrawling and sprawling output, showing that SENTINELS is set to maim in this unrelenting onslaught of aggression, well-timed pausal moments, wrapped in embittered dissonance and surges of harsh instrumentals. "Inertia" ruptures into blistering angst, dissonantly heavy once more with those same crushing moments, nasty breakdowns and fired-up breaking leads.

Passivity isn't in the nature of the beast that is SENTINELS. Clearly fuelled by every ounce of angst ever experienced in life, every wrong, every unjust moment, SENTINELS pound in their delivery. "Comfort in Familiar" stomps with petulance, whilst "Embers" lends to more sullen soundscapes, with minor tones that fight with your ears and time signatures that straight up mindfuck you amongst the sporadic, lulling melodic elements. A little quietude bears down in "Albatross", with a soft slumber that swiftly spirals into the familiar frenzied fret work and cleverly crafted cacophonous aspects that offer a deluge of hauntingly stark nuances, a definite highlight of "Collapse by Design".

Taking the progressive stance to the next level in this impressive opus, SENTINELS integrate subtle melodies amongst angst-driven growls of certitude in "Desecration (Isolation)" forging a sound in the vein of AT THE GATES, with an impressive solo driving the track into territories of unbridled eruption. Contrastingly, the subdued nature of "Solitude" retains the progressive element, offering a percussive-heavy, melodious instrumental to cleanse the palate to make way for the all-consuming bombast of "Tyrant", expectantly noxious and infused with discombobulating time signatures to knock you off kilter. SENTINELS then deliver the bruising "To Wither Away", compounding the journey of brutality further, bleeding into "Coalescence", a heady blend of traditional formulaic metalcore and that ingenious progressive stance that SENTINELS have managed to perfect so brilliantly. The oft monotone vocal delivery on the album makes for something aloof, yet only enhances the profound nature of the thematic. "Obsolete" is a prime example; lofty with its structure and rhythm section, yet cool with its output, and the bulbous track "Atlas" robust with its abyssal depth and fat bass line, but offering something deliciously detached with the vocal connection (or lack of). It's aspects like these that differentiate SENTINELS in the genre, and refreshingly so.

"Collapse by Design" beckons to all the familiar traits of metalcore, with a healthy infusion of progressive elements that enhance the emotive aspects and heighten the listening experience. I'd implore you to add this album to your collection if you're a fan of the genre.