Luke Griffin unveils SHUSH.
In this solo project from the musician known for his work with Acrania, Human Error, and Scribe of Existence, the English musician presents Vow of Silence.
He’s teamed up with Luke Haarhoff (Vulvodynia, Corps Fleur) and Dmitry Degtyarev on guitars, Jack Higgs (A Night in the Abyss, She Must Burn, The Voynich Code) on orchestrations, and Daemorph Art (Abominable Putridity, Acrania, Avulsed, Demonstealer, Lividity, Pyrexia…) for the artwork.
The album kicks off with a bang on The Extinction Protocol, an instantly catchy intro that lets blast beats and pig squeals drive the successive mosh parts before Suffocate the Population takes over, delivering the syncopated riffs typical of deathcore at a brisk pace while Luke roars his heart out. There’s virtually no downtime, though certain sections are softened by the orchestrations, and the first real break comes with Braindead Symphony, which opens with a few ethereal notes quickly tinged with anxiety before the brutal, uncompromising rhythm section explodes, trampling us at will. Next up is Condemn or Obey, a new track with majestic, imposing elements that doesn’t hesitate to rely on waves of violence to get the machine rolling again, and this effective blend flows seamlessly into the restless Factory of Flesh, which immediately cranks up the intensity of its riffs. This track is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive and heavy on the album, setting the bar very high for Division Tactics, which doubles down on aggression and draws on hardcore roots raw enough to hold their own, delivering an apocalyptic yet fiercely catchy atmosphere. There are a few hints of Death/Grind on Theatre of Obedience, a track where Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) and Alan Grnja (Distant) join the vocalist, significantly bolstering the vocal parts while the instrumental becomes unsettling and delivers one final surge before Court of Liars follows suit, once again offering fierce elements that make us want to join the assault. It’s worth noting that the keyboards also intensify as the rhythm section becomes simpler and more driving, then Echochamber suddenly explodes, sweeping everything in its path while incorporating some more technical elements in the riffs, taking the roars even further. Smile for the Trap takes over, delivering slower but no less crushing Beatdown elements, while the vocals grow even grittier and a solo bursts in out of nowhere; then the oppressive finale finally sets us free on The Final Broadcast, another very imposing track. Note the return of samples to herald the final explosions, but the album concludes with Glossolalia, a track where gurgles and screams are, of course plentiful, but above all, essential for this grand, climactic final, featuring Steve Regan (Annotations of an Autopsy).
Luke Griffin knows a thing or two about Deathcore, and Shush has a good chance of ending up among your favorite albums if you love this style as much as he does! Vow of Silence strings together tracks with very little downtime—and that’s exactly what we want from it!
85/100
