Mask The Wretch: Age of Deception

Artist: Mask The Wretch

Title: Age of Deception
Format Reviewed: MP3

Format Released: 24th June 2014

Reviewed By: Ben Chapman

An impactive bass heavy mix, relentless shouting, cohesive instrumentation, and moral discourse from a musical lectern of blastbeats and thickly layered screams: Atlanta four-piece Mask the Wretch lay down their relevant continuation of the hardcore cannon that's loud, tough, and shoving of everything but the envelope. Lack of pioneering aside, it's convincingly dooming stuff, unrelenting unashamed weightiness, all punctuated with barking vocals.

Never Enough is actually plenty; a full album's heaviness is used up in a minute and a half as the tone is set out plain and powerful. A strong start. Only the ring of feedback gives us a momentary pause before the continuous chug and cycle of strutting riffs recommences for Unshielded. This track treats the listener in both subtle and blatant fashions. About halfway into the track, the way the guttural vocals stretch and bend in unison with the guitar riff makes an unconventional approach and pleasant change to the usual vocal delivery whilst still very naturally meeting the guitar's warped distortion. Next, we're thrown the metallic in-your-face pop of some slap bass to complement the rough scraps of chordal shredding.

Whilst it's all excellently delivered and performed, the album suffers from falling into the trap of a lack of distinction between songs. The aforementioned tracks peak the album early, so that there's little variation in the record's tone, strong as that style may be. Though the title track Age of Deception is strong any of the album's tracks could have taken its place. But I suppose the lack of distinction here plays as an abundance of consistency, which fits the album's themes, and isn't necessarily a negative feature of the album.

Aftershock helps form some of the much desired and more notable moments with its emphasised group chanting led along by a headbanging groove. The texture and rhythm is deployed more tactfully on this track, where less is more, and the focus turns towards the wailed guitar melodies that rappel down the scales, jumping in fear from each explosive lyric shouted out.

Integrity is all about showing off the band's technical skill. The heavyweight drumming maintains power and precision, driving the track along with a pace that's not for the casual listen. With the layered scream of the overdubbed vocals and a double bass pedal that refuses to let up, Mask the Wretch make a vigorous contribution that shows passionate adherence to the hardcore genre.

False Kingdom's initial riff has an urgent feel of emergency about it, contrasted with a more sensitively picked guitar melody.  Despite the excitement of the music, the lack of departure from the album's damning tone begins to be felt about seven tracks in so that you're not sure if you're an accepting fan or have simply become immune to the hardcore through over-stimulation. The track's close has a heaviness with a slow and sludgy feel, a sense of wasted strength, a power without an outlet.

The EP's title, Age of Deception, is Mask the Wretch's call to arms against an  increasing socio-moral decrepitude. Throughout the album the lyrics are about being nice generally, which isn't all that bad, advocating an integral loyalty, not “taking everyone down with your poison well” and a stern reminder of the necessity of truthfulness, with reproaching refrains such as “you are nothing that you claim to be”. It's delivered with an intense conviction (the album's record label allows the public to download the album for free, in full), but it's own power stifles and overrides the message, there's little behind the thick slap of music to recall or join forces with, the unrelenting strength of its performance leaves the listener perhaps impressed but left behind. To the dedicated hardcore fans, running alongside the band's noticeable momentum is surely an enjoyable enough experience anyway; to enjoy shouldn't have to be to understand.