Album Review: Carnifex – World War X

Now several albums in, Californian bruisers Carnifex have made considerable in-roads within modern death metal. They've honed a sound bristling with thunderous breakdowns, blast beats, savage riffing and radio-friendly choruses. Ok, one of those is a lie.

Kicking off with the sounds of conflict, World War X arrives three years on from their previous LP, and they evidently haven't lost the fire and brimstone. Previous record Slow Death contained a more prominent black metal influence within their deathcore attack, a focus continued here. Dimmu Borgir-like dramatics and Dark Funeral-influenced intensity flesh out their sound, as does the blackened riffage of the memorable This Infernal Darkness.

While the symphonic flourishes and overall bleak atmospherics aid their cause, they can at times feel like window dressing. Also, perhaps a few more deft songwriting tricks and truly incisive hooks wouldn't have gone astray, meaning the record only occasionally reaches any grand heights. A couple of guest spots do suggest creative avenues they could further explore in future, though. Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz (who seems to be popping up everywhere of late) lends clean singing to No Light Shall Save Us to considerable effect. Meanwhile, virtuoso player Angel Vivaldi's guitar solos inject a touch of class to All Roads Lead to Hell.

Succinct at just nine tracks and 36 minutes, World War X is heavier than a bag of spanners on Jupiter, although at times the sheer bludgeoning can become numbing.