All Out War Celestial Rot

I can’t imagine that NY metallic hardcore band All Out War are in need of an introduction on both this site and in extreme music circles. Standing toe-to-toe with legends of the genre such as Integrity and Ringworm, they’ve put out several regarded classics in the genre including 1998’s For Those Who Were Crucified and 2003’s Condemned To Suffer, albums that still hold up as some of the best examples of mixing metal and hardcore effectively to this day. And, much like their aforementioned peers, the band has steadily put out new releases throughout the years, with each one steering them towards a more metal-focused direction while still paying heed to their hardcore and punk roots. Their Translation Loss Records debut, Celestial Rot continues this dive into even darker sonic territory, going all in on the extreme metal aspects of their sound and featuring some of their strongest late-era material thus far.

From the black metal-influenced guitar work and blast beats on opening track “Snake Legion”, there is a permeating grime and darkness that coats the album’s overall mood, with a production sound that you’d normally expect to find in death or doom metal as opposed to metallic hardcore. This ends up being to the band’s benefit overall, both increasing the impact of their more extreme metal-leaning vision and giving the album a unique sound that firmly stands out from many of their peers as well as the new era of metalcore bands that are currently active. That, coupled with some of the strongest songwriting from the band to date, and the consistently shifting dynamics of the material ensures engagement throughout the duration of the record.

With that being said, All Out War certainly know their way around the hallmark aspects of metallic hardcore, and there are plenty of huge mosh parts and urgent, driving thrash sections to be found on this record. It is certainly safe to say that fans of the band’s now classic records will find plenty to love here. From a songwriting standpoint, each of the record’s 10 tracks stand as some of their strongest to date, and it’s impressive to see the band firing on all cylinders so late in their lifespan. For all the new sonic territory the band breaches with this album, the backbone of their appeal remains a knack for writing absolute ass-beating metalcore songs that can stand up with any classic or new era bands around right now. The mixture of both the new sonic flourishes and their signature sound is executed with razor sharp precision, making this a rare late-era record from a band that can compete with their most loved records.

Certainly not the kind of band to release a record just for the hell of it, and certainly not adhering to any sort of touring/release cycle, you can feel the purpose and love that went into crafting each and every song on Celestial Rot. All Out War have nothing to prove at this point, so it’s refreshing to see that they’re not interested whatsoever in phoning in a release just for the hell of it. Every song on this record stands out in it’s own way, and there’s no weak point here to drag the momentum down. In addition to having some of their best instrumental performances thus far, vocalist Mike Score’s effort on this record is outstandingly scathing, and serves as a perfect fit for the more extreme metal leaning production and songwriting displayed here.

Bottom Line: Walking the line between the classic sound you’re known for and breaching new sonic territory can be hard, and it’s incredibly impressive to see All Out War achieve this with expert precision. Celestial Rot is a record that will both bring in and impress new listeners while also satisfying their longtime fans. It’s easily one of their strongest records thus far, standing alongside their classic material while not shying away from sonic evolution. It’s a fantastic metallic hardcore record and certainly brings high hopes of touring alongside the release so these new songs can be heard in a live setting.