Active since 2018, THE WORLD WITHOUT US are a fairly new group, one that has been honing their skills and defining their sound in the Northeast metal scene. Playing with many local heavy hitters, the band set themselves apart by cultivating a sound that blends genre-bending Progressive Death Metal with modern strains of Heavy, Groovy, and often uplifting modern Progressive Metal. Their debut album contains four tracks.

"Eden" leads off the album. It begins with a crunchy, Djent-style riff. The clean vocals hit you right away with their layers of harmonics. The harsh vocals are also well-done, but the mid-tempo pace keeps the track somewhat grounded. "Cult" begins with a faster pace and a tight, rhythmic cadence. The album flirts with the Deathcore genre at times, especially considering the breakdowns. An extended instrumental passage leads to more vocal harmonies. This is what I am talking about.

"Weeds" is a heavier song that opens with some dissonance in the guitars. The riffs are also fairly inventive. Though much of the song contains brutal elements, the vocal harmonies towards the end play nicely with the riff changes. "Peril" closes the album. It begins with more weighted elements that give way to some melodies. Clean vocals are often a sore spot with bands in this genre, but they hit the mark here. The heavier elements are also infused with Groovy elements, ala PANTERA. The ending is unique...as the riff plods along, some background effects inject some much needed melodies.

This was a solid debut album from the band. As advertised, they work in several different genres into their blend of music. They shift between these elements with precision and energy as well. Both the clean and harsh vocals are done well. I will be watching the band for a full-length album in the future.