Salt Lake City’s Chelsea Grin have been around for ages, despite their relatively tender age. They’ve established themselves as one of the figureheads of the- at times, unpopular – Deathcore genre, and staying fresh for this long is the ultimate testament to that. Almost 6 years to the date since their self-titled EP spread across Myspace, they are ready to drop their third album, Ashes to Ashes, and it takes little time to realise it is their most fine-tuned effort so far.
‘Playing With Fire’ sets the framework for the rest of the record – brutal in delivery, crisp in precision, and full of much sought-after technicality. It’s less radical than any of the material on 2012’s Evolve, but there will be no complaints when they play to these strengths.
It’s back to basics again on “Morte ætérna”, firing mercilessly through breakdowns and blastbeats, whereas ‘Sellout’, although lyrically cliché, adds a touch of differentiating groove to the equation. In each note that’s played, Jason Richardson’s emphasis is there, so much so that his musicianship alone is enough to drive the two-part instrumental of ‘Ashes…’/‘…To Ashes’.
Even for the hard-stomached, Ashes to Ashes is a lot of Deathcore to digest in one sitting, and that is perhaps the main criticism. Tracks such as ‘Illuminate’ and ‘Angels Shall Sin, Demons Shall Pray‘ can pass by unacknowledged, and it’s only the scarce moments of melody that really leap out towards the end. Regardless, if given time, it’s a record that does still place quality over quantity.
On Ashes to Ashes, Chelsea Grin have stripped it down, revisited the template, and delivered good, old fashioned Deathcore. Some will say it is too simplistic in places, or that moments are uninspiring, but they have undoubtedly taken a step back in the right direction.
