Autopsying deathcore-inclined melodic death metal rarely turns up anything of note. The cause of death is obvious — a yawning void in the cranial cavity, with ink poisoning in the neck as a contributing factor. What reviewer could be blamed for assuming the obvious of Will, Until Beauty, the debut full-length from Chicago duo Cariosus? What a surprise then that further inspection has turned up a record that not only has grey matter intact, but has half a heartbeat too!
You’d be forgiven for writing off Will, Until Beauty initially, as I did. Opener “The Narrow Path” embodies half the album: worthwhile in momentum if not memorability, with requisite technicality and heart but lacking definition. The Wall of Sound and Fury is the name I’ve come to consistently describe music like this, as it’s certainly not unique to Cariosus. You know what I’m talking about: it’s loud and mean with all the metal prerequisites checked off, but with nothing to set it apart from other bands, or even from other songs on its own record. Riffs notable only in their breathlessness, interchangeable, totally fine shrieks and shouts bounced off a wall of interchangeable, totally fine growls, hypermodern tones pushing the lows through the floor, and guitar solos into chiptune territory — it’s all here. Sure, the base modern melodic death is spiced up with neoclassical riffing and blackened bends, but it’s nothing to write home about. If Cariosus were like most bands of their ilk, this is all you’d get.
Will, Until Beauty by Cariosus
But here and there, starting with third-slated “Apollo’s Lament,” beauty starts to chip at the Wall. The track features a lightning crack of a riff that is underutilized if anything, despite a great moment centered around its huge midsong spotlight. With equal applications of pressure and creativity, the record finally trades formlessness for shape. Cariosus grow in their understanding of and comfort with pace breaks across the spin. As those breaks go, so goes everything else. Knowing when and how to ease off the throttle determines success on a record like this. This lesson is embodied on “All Too Human,” eschewing immediate energy for a long instrumental open that doubles as a desperately needed breather. When the song blows the top off and launches into the core riff, it puts together not just a great moment, but a great song.
Still, Will, Until Beauty is a beast of contradiction. On the one hand, the Wall never truly crumbles, and the slavish adherence to faceless riffing stunts Cariosus’ ceiling. Penultimate track “Sword of Damocles” sports non-Wall components just as good as any on the record, but when the riff (or lack thereof) hits, the track feels like a lost opportunity rather than a success. On the other hand, on the occasions when the getting’s good, it’s real good. Closer “Heaven’s Portent” lands on what finally feels like the correct balance between will and beauty. Will, Until Beauty lives up to its name, ending on a true high as it melds spiraling meloriffs and crushing percussion with the best of the tempo shifts and breaks on the spin. When its honest-to-goodness breakdown hits, it isn’t unwelcome; the song has earned the moment and it fits perfectly into what the album needs.
Much like “Sword of Damocles,” it feels as if Will, Until Beauty is a missed opportunity, or else a learning one. The ideas are here, or at least on the way. The skills aren’t in question either. Alex Pfister’s vocals are varied enough to do a wider job than he does, and Adam Zlotorzycki’s clearly got enough technicality on the frets to carry the act. Cariosus’ next steps are not to figure out what, but how much. If they can ensure balance across the tracklist, everything else may fall into place. The will is present; let’s hope only beauty can follow.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: cariosus.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cariosusband
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024
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