Altsounds - Sworn Enemy

Gone are the days of hardcore bands getting shunned for incorporating traditional metal elements to their sound. In the last five years even heavier sub-sets like death metal and grindcore elements have been incorporated into the genre. On Maniacal, New York City's Sworn Enemy build on the melodic death metal infused hardcore they last visited on 2006's The Beginning of the End. Produced by As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis and Joey Z. of Life of Agony, the album brims with a full-on guitar assault that never lets up in energy and precision. The guitar team of Lorenzo Antonucci and Jamin Hunt have really become a force to reckon with. Their tireless gallops and solo runs adorn the album with raw aggression that few other guitar duos in their scene are capable of.

As I Lay Dying drummer Jordan Mancino plays on all of Maniacal and his solid, almost machine-like thump anchors the songs better than anyone else they've played with in the past. Now we get to Sworn Enemy's Achilles heel; Vocalist Sal LoCoco. His screechy screaming style starts to wear thin by the third song, "A Place of Solace" and the record never really recovers from there. We're not looking for crooning like Howard Jones from Killswitch Engage or anything. But some variety in his attack would have done wonders for these songs.

Carlos Ramirez