Job for a Cowboy has completely left deathcore behind and has confronted full-on pure, raw 100% death metal with this release. Genesis really was an ordeal for the fans of Job for a Cowboy and I can remember it like it was yesterday. It truly divided the fans they had or otherwise left their young metalcore fans that still decided to support the band, shift into purist extreme metal heads. It also left a load of -core kids and metalheads very pissed off at it happening too. [1]
Core kids were left upset seeing their favorite band leaving behind breakdowns, pinch harmonics, pig squeals and dumb emo haircuts in the dust while it left metalheads angry at seeing a deathcore band completely evolving into death metal. [1]
Well sorry to say guys, but tough shit for both of you. The matter of these happenings also displays that this death metal opus really is a hate-it-or-love-it album and if you aren't so concerned or care about the past history of this band (as I would prefer you to as the band would most likely feel the same) you'd be in for an outstanding record by this Glendale, Arizona five-piece. [1]
“Genesis” was that album. The one where Job for a Cowboy dropped their deathcore sound in favor of a modern style of death metal. Gone are the infamous breakdowns and pig squeals and welcomed are death metal riffs and solos, and a more standard vocal style. This album still created controversy when it was released and was met with criticism by both deathcore fans that were disappointed in the band’s change of sound, as well as death metal enthusiast who still found JFAC plain and generic. Regardless, I still find this album to be a solid modern death metal release. [2]
Bobby and Ravi both manage to pack some cool riffs and solos into this album’s short 30 minutes of music. Actually, you really aren’t going to hear anything super innovative or original here, but that’s perfectly fine because it makes up for that in its energy and superb flow within the song structures. Songs such as “Altered from Catechization”, “Martyrdom Unsealed”, “Reduced to Mere Filth”, and the fan favorite “Embedded” are examples of tracks containing these solos which, while decent and effective, still sound a bit short. They really could have added a little more to them. “Embedded” is one of the songs that really brought this band to a larger audience and contains a very dark sounding break which I’ve always found to be really cool. I was a bit ticked when they didn’t play this song at Mayhem Fest 2013. They played “Entombment of a Machine” so I figured they’d at least play “Embedded”. “The Divine Falsehood” is one of my favorite tracks from this album with its slower, almost doom metal-esque pace. This is probably the most unique song on the album as it literally sounds nothing like the other tracks and adds a bit more variation. This song can best be described as foundationally similar to the title track from the band’s next album “Ruination”. [2]
Basically this album carries (or in some cases relies) on being technical. Many of the riffs are very, very structured on being as wankery as they can without sounding too out-of-key within the process. The bass guitar is audible in most of the music and is somewhat impressive on what Brent Riggs can do with just his fingers. He slaps, pops and grooves away while the band's two guitarists take the lead. His bass work is in some cases mediocre but overall I just give him praise in the least that I can hear him on this record which isn't a usual thing in all of today's death metal. He even has some of his own bass breaks where the music stops for a brief second, giving him the spotlight such as in "Bearing the Serpent's Lamb". [1]
Really, the only real complaint I have about the album is how most of the songs, as I said earlier while describing “The Divine Falsehood”, tend to blend in with one another. The band could have added a bit more variation in these 30 minutes but seeing as they were still a fairly new band at this time, “Genesis” is a solid modern piece of death metal. [2]
All in all, Genesis is an amazing death metal record and was even awarded the best selling debut metal album since Slipknot's debut album (from 1999) and I can honestly say, I'm not so surprised. One of the best smashing extreme metal pieces of 2007 all coming from a band that once would have been left behind forgotten in the reign of deathcore clones if they did not change their style (which thankfully was done). From this album forward, may Job for a Cowboy reign as Job for a CowMAN. [1]
Tracks
- Bearing the Serpent's Lamb
- Reduced to Mere Filth
- Altered from Catechization
- Upheaval
- Embedded
- Strings of Hypocrisy
- Martyrdom Unsealed
- Blasphemy
- The Divine Falsehood
- Coalescing Prophecy
If you like it, please buy it on their official website/store.
These reviews are written by GuardAwakening and BlackMetal213 on Metallum.
GuardAwakening, Bye-Bye, Deathcore, www.metal-archives.com [1]
BlackMetal213, The Cowboy Is Getting The Job DDone!, www.metal-archives.com [2]
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