Spineshank have managed to evolve again on their latest album, Anger Denial Acceptance, which encompasses all the sounds they’ve accumulated up ’til now and injected it with a fresh, new vigor. More in tone with Strictly Diesel in terms of production but leaps and bounds beyond The Height Of Callousness and Self-Destructive Pattern, Anger Denial Acceptance is the next logical progression for the LA cyber metallers. A prime example is “Nothing Left For Me” which brims with intensity but is one of the most accessible songs Spineshank has written to date.
If you fear they’ve gone soft from that first offering, look no further than the title track or the brutal “The Endless Disconnect” (Or plenty of other songs on ADA!). “The Reckoning” is another one that is so intense that one might fear it’ll go off the rails in an instant because of the speed. Elsewhere there are songs that showcase the diversity that Spineshank have always had like opener “After The End” which begins like something off The Height Of Callousness but has this crazy sludge driven breakdown that’s decidedly new to the ‘shank repertoire.
Perhaps the greatest example of Spineshank being a cut above the rest is the epic three part closer of “God Complex (Anger)”, “Motive Method Opportunity (Denial)”, and “Exit Wound (Acceptance)”. Each shows a different facet of Spineshank’s personality: “God Complex” brings the heavy to unparallelled levels, “Motive Method Opportunity” slows it down with a great melody and incorporates piano into the mix while “Exit Wound” changes things entirely with a string section to accent the fury that’s brimming underneath. It’s the perfect ending for their “comeback” and a perfect reminder of how potent Spineshank is despite the decibel volume.
Anger Denial Acceptance is out on June 19th through Century Media. Check out the pre-order options over at CMDistro.com here and here.
Grade: A