City metalcore band Final Surrender have done what few metal bands in the country have – keep their heads down and actually overcome any possible slump to release their third album.
For a band that’s been around since 2010, they’ve certainly haven’t slowed down the song-writing process, which explains why they’ve got their third album within six years. That’s writing, recording and releasing at a rate that not many Indian metal (or even rock) bands – what with their day jobs and general creative mood swings – can match.
And while their 2013 album Empty Graves was an experiment in just how well Indian classical elements can match their unsparing brand of American metalcore, Final Surrender’s third album, Nothing But Void , is a step towards unadulterated metal. Although just seven tracks, the band’s mission statement comes across as rage-filled, probably in the pursuit of catharsis.
Produced entirely in-house by drummer Jared Sandhy, the opening title track immediately lays out their major influence on the album – the melodic hardcore and metalcore of bands like August Burns Red and Lamb of God. It’s often an imitation of guitar tones and melody structures, but Final Surrender, thankfully, find their own voice as well.
From the frenetic ‘Inescapable’ to the visceral ‘Walls of Silence’, the band gets into a groove that would have most metalcore diehards’ feet and heads in motion. Guitarists Sanjay Kumar and James Stephanes bounce riffs and melodies with the synchronicity you need for their high-tempo tunes, while bassist Judah Sandhy is the backbone. Vocalist Joseph Samuel presents an interesting range – stealing the spotlight for the moments that he’s unhinged towards the ending of ‘Inescapable’, but also for his ability to be nearly melodic with his growls on songs like ‘Exasperate’.
The wrecking ball modern/djent-leaning ‘Failing Structures’ adds the much-needed breakaway from familiarity, with vibrant fretplay from the guitarists. But at ‘Altruistic Veneer’, the band doesn’t offer much new from what any fan of August Burns Red would have heard.
But then they top it off with ‘Tear Down the Walls’, which is Final Surrender at their most diverse – from the electronic-influenced intro to the stomping riffs and a despairing refrain that goes “I can’t live my life/ I’m dying.” A hint of tabla just about makes it in the mix, but it’s a sign that Final Surrender can be as diverse as they want to be.
