This is a TGEFM reader-submitted review. It may have been edited for content, spelling, or grammar but otherwise reflects the thoughts and opinions of the submitter.
Review by Th.E. Boyd
Upstate Records – 18 Feb 2022
No Frills Metal on Brick By Brick’s New Album
Metal band Brick By Brick’s follow up to their 2019 album Hive Mentality is a ground-shaker. The new LP, Dismal Existence, relies on an abundance of heavy, rhythmic techniques in order to achieve its sound. Brick By Brick incorporates moments of contemporary thrash similar to more recent Job For A Cowboy albums in addition to paying homage to early thrash pioneers like Iron Maiden with occasional galloping, palm-muted guitars. This is certainly a metal album, but pinning it down on the metal spectrum is no easy task. For all my fellow sub genre junkies out there, if I had to put Dismal Existence on a branch of the metal tree, it would probably be resting between beatdown hardcore and crossover thrash. If you want heavy metal without a lot of frills, this is a good place to be.
The second track, “Infiltrate”, is a song about the unsettling realities of the split second decision-making that soldiers have to make when in the middle of a war zone. The song starts with a pretty great drum fill before entering a three-chord, palm-muted verse followed by a short chorus. After a nice drum-centric breakdown, the second verse lets the bass take center stage behind the vocals in a refreshing variation. But what sets this song apart to me is around the 3-minute mark when assault rifle shots are fired, the guitars feed back, and then the snare mimics gunfire in a hectic cacophony before the final breakdown.
My favorite song is the eighth track called “Liar, Deceiver”. With chugging palm-muted triplets, a prominent bass, and killer double bass that makes any metal fan happy, this song comes together nicely. The drum fills are fantastic, and the lyrics “loose lips sink ships, I’ll watch you drown” make this song about treason an aggressive force. Coming in second for me is tenth track “Tearing Down”. After a great intro sample about a man playing Russian roulette with himself, this song has the best guitar riffs on the album while still allowing time for a bass interlude. It also sustains consistently awesome and versatile drumming that is present through the entirety of the record.
I can’t emphasize enough how much this album and its songs use rhythmic drumming, bass, and guitars as its backbone. Although I enjoyed the album, I often found myself asking, “Where is the lead guitar?” I think there are a few spots on this album where a little lead would have gone a long way. Having said that, the “less is more” approach worked in favor of the bass which was highlighted nicely on more than a few occasions and has a couple shining moments. The breakdowns are also nothing so scoff at as they made me think of the powerful breakdowns from bands like Suicide Silence and Chimaira.
To a listener who doesn’t appreciate simple, heavy riffs and guttural vocals, I can see how the songs on this album would meld together and sound similar. At the same time, I can also say that I enjoyed Dismal Existence because it made me think about what a Wayne Static record would sound like if he had gone full metal in drop C (or even B).
