Early last month, independent metal band Repentance released its latest studio recording, The Process of Human Demise. The 12-song record’s release came via Noble Demon, which also released the band’s 2021 EP, Vol. 1 – Reborn. Running approximately 43 minutes, the band’s sophomore album (behind its 2020 debut God For A Day) is a presentation that audiences will find interesting. That is due in part to the record’s featured songs, which will be addressed shortly. The musical arrangements featured within the songs add to the interest and will be discussed a little later. The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical content adds its own interest to the presentation, too. It will also be examined later. Each item noted here adds its own touch to the whole of The Process of Human Demise. All things considered they make this nearly 45-minute record an interesting addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
The Process of Human Demise, the recently released sophomore album from Repentance is a presentation that the up-and-coming metal outfit’s audiences will appreciate just as much as metal fans in general. The album’s interest comes in part through its featured songs, believe it or not. That is because four of the 12 total songs that make up the album’s body are actually carryovers from the band’s 2021 EP, Vol. 1 – Reborn. The songs in question are: ‘All The Misery,’ “Reborn,’ ‘Down in The Water’ and ‘No Innocence.’ The other nine songs featured in the record are new content. To that end, the album is new but not necessarily entirely new. One cannot help but wonder why the band decided to carry over that trio of songs (the band’s EP has a total of five songs, by the way) what with having nine originals to present. In such an era nine songs can be considered enough for an album instead of an EP. At the same time though, the inclusion of those songs does help renew attention on the band’s EP and will perhaps get audiences who have not heard that record to get their own copy of the EP. So having them as part of the record is a good thing just as much as it is a head scratcher.
Looking a little deeper at the record’s body, the musical arrangements featured within each of its songs are of their own interest. From the album’s intense opener, ‘Buried By Fear’ (which is one of the record’s singles, too) to its equally powerful midpoint, ‘Down In The Water,’ to its just as fiery finale, ‘Venom Inside,’ the energy never lets up in any of the record’s arrangements. Throughout the course of the record, each song clearly exhibits comparison to and influence from the likes of Hatebreed and Lamb of God. At the same time, there are some guitar riffs that hint at a Slayer-esque approach. The other noted comparisons come through the songs’ overall instrumentation and front man Adam Gilley’s guttural screams. At times sounding just like Hatebreed front man Jamey Jasta and at others like Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, the intensity in his vocal delivery is a perfect pairing with the hard hitting punch from his band mates – guitarists Shaun Glass and Eric Burns, bassist Eric Karol and drummer Brandon White. The result of their collective work in each record is an overall presentation that is sure to keep any modern metal fan fully engaged and entertained in this record in its own right.
The engagement and entertainment ensured through the musical arrangements in Repentance’s new album is only part of what audiences are certain to appreciate about the record. The lyrical themes that accompany the musical arrangements add their own share of interest. The album’s lyrics were not provided for this review, but having information regarding some of the record’s songs helps paint a picture of its lyrical content. Case in point is the lyrical theme for one of the record’s new songs, ‘Buried By Fear.’ The album’s opener, its lyrical theme centers on the topic of contemplating our own mortality, according to Gilley. He said in an interview regarding the song, the theme herein “is about the fear of the unknown, the fear of death. Not knowing what is to be offered on the other side.” This is a topic that no one wants to approach, but we must all tackle at some point. Thankfully this song does have a lyric video to reference and the lyrics presented are distinctly goth in nature. That is interesting considering the heaviness in the song’s musical arrangement. That goth nature is made obvious right from the song’s outset as Gilley screams, “It seems my thoughts are in the grave/I try and I just cannot be saved/Shadows cast over me/Ignite the fear of the unknown/Drowning from what is to become/Broken down with anxiety/Smothered from the inside/Will this ever subside/Death/It comes creeping near/Buried alive by the fear.” Such lyrics are sure to prove accessible to plenty of audiences. That may in fact include goth types considering the depth in the lyrical presentation here.
Moving to one of the album’s carryovers, ‘No Innocence’ is another example of the importance of the record’s lyrical content. Gilley said of this song during another interview, “‘No Innocence’ is about being betrayed by someone you thought you can trust. When enough is enough and you just can’t hold back anymore.” This message is delivered as Gilley screams, “Here we are standing face to face/Looking back on anger I embrace/Is this a war/A war/Thine eyes can see right through to you/And every little thing you do/I will not break/Self-righteous ignorance/Pull the blade from my back/No innocence/I’ll ruin you to the quick/A snap of the fingers/I’ll flip the switch.” He continues in the song’s second verse, “I’ve got the murderous intent/The you crossed the line over again/A price to pay/To pay/You ignorant m***** f*****/Spin the gears and you will suffer/I will not break.” The way in which these lyrics are delivered presents a message of strength, of saying “enough is enough” just as Gilley noted in the stated interview. Listeners are just as certain to connect with this theme because it is presented in a fashion that is just as accessible as that in ‘Buried By Fear.’ Add in the Dry Kill Logic style musical arrangement in this song and the overall intensity is certain to connect even more with audiences.
Moving back to the album’s original content, its title track is yet another example of the role of its lyrical content. No lyrics were available for this song at the time of this review’s posting, but from what can be deciphered sans said content, the song’s lyrical theme comes across as being a commentary on how humans are bringing on our own downfall. That is inferred through the mentions of “bombs falling,” “a false messiah” (this is not a religious matter in this case so it should not be inferred that way) while also breaking free from what is happening. Again, this is just this critic’s interpretation without lyrics. Hopefully it is somewhere in the proverbial ballpark. If in fact it is then it is another familiar topic that is sure to connect with listeners because of the anger and frustration about what is going on with society in whole. To that end, it is another theme that is sure to connect with listeners in its own right. When this seeming theme is considered along with those examined here and along with the rest of the album’s lyrical content, the whole therein makes even clearer the importance of the album’s lyrical content. When the lyrical themes in whore are considered along with the album’s musical arrangements and with the songs themselves, the whole makes The Process of Human Demise a welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums – even if it not an entirely new album.
The Process of Human Demise, the sophomore album from the independent metal outfit Repentance is a presentation that is sure to keep audiences engaged and entertained. That is due in part to its general makeup. Over the course of its nearly 45-minute run time, the record gives audiences something old and something new, with four songs carried over from its 2021 EP, Vol. 1 – Reborn as part of its overall 12-song body. The blend of old and new has the potential to renew interest on that EP while also giving audiences plenty of new content at the same time. The musical arrangements featured throughout the record’s songs makes for even more interest. That is because of the comparisons that can be made to works from so many other even more well-known metal acts from one song to the next. Listeners can hear influence from the likes of Lamb of God and Hatebreed to Dry Kill Logic, Testament, and even Chimaira throughout the record. At the same time the arrangements boast their own identities even with the noted influences in mind. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements put the final touch to this record’s presentation. That is because of their overall accessibility and familiarity in their content. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of The Process of Human Demise. All things considered they make the album a presentation that metal audiences in general and the band’s established audiences alike will find worth hearing.
The Process of Human Demise is available now through Noble Demon. More information on the album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://www.repentanceband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreRepentance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeAreRepentance