Back in the early and mid 2000s, the subgenre of Metalcore had split into a few different facets. There was the pummeling, more Hardcore tinged style of bands like Zao and Converge, as well as the more toned-down and chug-driven style of bands like early Between the Buried and Me and After the Burial. Lower 13 firmly places itself in the latter style. For better or worse, new EP Deception sounds like it stepped out of the time capsule of Monster Energy-era Metalcore from 2005-2008 and lands rather ungracefully in 2023, resulting in a somewhat confusing release. It’s very inoffensive, but equally bland, offering little to no changes in a formula that was already not very interesting to begin with almost 20 years ago. The bands of this chug-driven style have changed significantly in recent years, with Between the Buried and Me adapting Prog leanings and After the Burial embracing Djent as part of their formula. But why has Lower 13 not done this?
For what it’s worth, the production on this album as well as the talent of the band members is present. Songs are competently written and while the singer has whiny cleans that aren’t the most pleasant to listen to, he has decent growls that at the very least aren’t whispered, giving them some form of heft. Each instrument is able to be heard clearly, something that’s always a bonus, as a lot of albums from the 05-08 chug-a-thon era sound quite compressed in comparison. There are a few solos sprinkled throughout this, and good thing they’re present, as without the album is quite lifeless and tepid. Some synths are used as well, such as on the intro to “More Time”, the album’s highlight. I also detect some similarities to early Within the Ruins on the remaining tracks of the album. Unfortunately, after the first track, which at least makes an attempt to not be pure 2000s ‘Core worship, the album devolves into an increasingly derivative set of Metalcore songs that sound like outtakes from any of the more successful bands of that era. There’s really not much that compels me to listen to this again, while bands such as Unearth, early All That Remains, and early Killswitch Engage, among others, exist. For anyone seeking a short shot of nostalgia, they might find something of substance here, but then they’d probably listen to something more energetic like the aforementioned three bands listed.
