Insolvency – “Antagonism Of The Soul”

Step into the way back machine and let the familial sounds of Insolvency’s “Antagonism Of The Soul” take you back a few decades to the heyday of metalcore. You remember those days right? Of course you do. As I Lay Dying, Unearth, Shadows Fall, Remembering Never, Killswitch Engage and the list goes on and on. Well, their sounds were certainly not lost on these Frenchmen, especially not on “Antagonism Of The Soul.”

“Tears Of The World” recalls the frenzied guitar work and freewheeling nature of Unearth’s seminal genre release “The Oncoming Storm” with galloping leads and throat shredding vocals and the following title track is reminiscent of As I Lay Dying’s “…An Ocean Between Us,” thanks to crushing instances interspersed with moments of serene clarity. Actually, those two albums serve as a pretty good reference point for the rest of “Antagonism Of The Soul” (clean hooks pair off perfectly with malicious barks on “Violation,” a fabulous (and quite extensive) guitar solo, along with some death metal growls, anchors “Black Moon,” video game quality guitar work headlines the snarling “This War Is Not For You,” well-rounded tracks “A Leaving Life, A New Beginning” and “Your Lost Soul” are everything metalcore tracks should really strive to be – heavy, uncompromisingly fast and contemplative with just the right smattering of melody). And just to further prove there isn’t any listener fatigue setting in as “Antagonism Of The Soul” wears on into its latter tracks, Insolvency save some of their heaviest stuff for last on the closing “Death Wish.”

On the whole, “Antagonism Of The Soul” is a both nostalgic and promising album. There aren’t many low points to be found on this album. As a matter of fact, there is a hell of a lot to like on “Antagonism Of The Soul.” Get this one into rotation today.

Go Download: “A Leaving Life, A New Beginning”