Here, for me at least, is today’s mystery band. There was a chance that I might have known this band as Shamash are from Malaysia, but I didn’t, and nor to my surprise did my well-connected Malaysian musician friend Leon although he had heard of them. My research revealed this is a melodic death metal / metalcore band, but I also read the following accompanying descriptions: melodic progressive, bludgeoning brutality, blackened death and power metal. This sounds like a personality disorder to me. The band has in fact been going since 2020 when they released an ep “Suffering Servant”, since when there have been a few singles prior to this album being released. For fans of Darkest Hour, In Flames, Shadows Fall and Dvne, they say. Duly informed, I took the plunge, being keen to find out if there was going to be a stramash from Shamash.

“Not By My Heart” opens the album. Full of thumping heaviness and integrated melody, the chorus is clean. It’s a good rousing song. The title song comes next. Away it goes breezily. The guitar provides the hookiness. The growls are once again replaced by the hardcore-style chorus before there’s a thunderous breakdown section and we then go racing off into the distance. So far the music has been fluid, to the credit of the band who don’t stand still but transform their sound between layers of melodic heaviness. “Done With Misery” chugs along very nicely. I can see where the comparison with Darkest Hour, In Flames and Shadows Fall comes from – let me throw in Scar Symmetry especially and Mercenary too in the way they attack and develop a heavy song. “The Missionary” is more akin to pure brutal death metal of the rapid kind. One thing which is everywhere is energy. A drum volley steps up the already lively pace. A dazzling guitar solo takes over as the rumbling bass guitar sound continues. On one level it’s chaotic but all that’s to the benefit of the song and I can see it’s well under control. Sirens ring out. The drums pump out an irresistible beat. What comes out of this is the rampant metalcore track “Take Me As I Am”. The title serves as the lyric for the catchy and anthemic chorus. Death metal in style it may be, but with all the energy and melody and hooks, this is fun. “Take Me As I Am” is unstoppably mobile. It’s exciting. This is a crowd-pleaser. It certainly pleased me. “No more” cries the vocalist and no doubt the imaginary audience with him as the sinister and sample-laced “Father of Lies” does its shuddering stuff, weaving seamlessly between passages of heightened mayhem.

The second half of the album starts in a darker tone, as if we’re witnessing an apocalyptic scene. Having captured our attention, the familiar metalcore style returns but in a more repressed way. Crushing instrumentals mix with subtle keyboards and distant voices. Shamash make good use of sound effects here and noticeably manipulate the atmosphere to good effect of “In Memoriam”. I can be critical of interludes but here after a darkly atmospheric track, a melancholic acoustic number works. In any case the song has purpose as the sound expands and the echoed sampled voice gives it further presence. Of course the expectation was of a vibrant metalcore riff after a couple of songs without, and we get one from Shamash. “Nos Pergamos in Domine Saluteum” spreads out wide and far, and fills the air with its catchy metal melody and enticing, almost haunting chorus. “The War for Jerusalem” is like a death metal march. There’s a recurrent Middle Eastern feel in the instrumentation and chorus, and well done to Shamash for introducing such intrigue, but most of all this is a thumping but sophisticated melodeath composition. The sky is filled with a battery of colourful and irresistible musical clouds. Even Scar Symmetry, whose sound resembles Shamash at least in my ears, never produced a song of this breadth. This is more like Arkan. “The Return of Al Masih” closes the album. The growls support the heavy instruments, which as ever guide us across fields of battle. As ever, the deathly brutality is accompanied by melodic hooks.

I suppose I could describe this as “modern metal”. At the core, Stamash present us with metalcore, but I remained captivated thanks not only to the tightness of the musicians, but also due to the progressions of the songs on this well-produced album which are brutality heavy but also imbued with hooks and catchiness. “Done with Misery” is full of exciting, banging songs. This is a band I’d love to see live, such is their energy and delivery.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

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https://shamashrr.bandcamp.com/album/done-with-misery-nos-pergamos-in-domine-saluteum