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CRITIC REVIEWS
90
Umbra Vitae certainly packs as much intensity as possible into under 30 minutes, but Shadow of Life looks beyond blunt force trauma.
82
Umbra Vitae’s album closes on a harrowing reminder that “shadows will one day come for you”, but pouring this much heart into project after project should have Bannon glowing until the great inevitable.
80
It's hard to temper expectations when listening to a supergroup, especially one with such a strong lineup, but Umbra Vitae definitely deliver a damn good death metal record.
50
As a Converge-affiliated deathcore supergroup, Umbra Vitae is maybe more exciting on paper than in execution.
Given the length of this album, I wasn't expecting for it to filled with much content, but I was delightfully mistaken. As soon the listener delves in to this project, they're immediately hit with an unrelenting series of pure animosity in musical form.
I love how tight and consistent each song is. Heavy drums, nasty riffs and equally disgustingly raw vocals fill every track setting truly Metal Metal atmosphere. I do wish, however that the majority of tracks were just a bit longer. Having 7/10 ... read more
Edit: It's been about 7 months and this project has softened on me significantly. I think a lot that is due to the production which dulls the ferocity of each member. This is especially problematic in the first half, as the songs don't make any interesting musical choices that could make up for that. Previous score: 80
At 26 minutes long Shadow of Life makes itself a Blitzkrieg, rending all sense of calm or quiet or harmony useless in the face of pulsating blasts, discordant guitars and ... read more
The punch in the gut that every month needs. You've got Bannon on vocals and Ballou assisting in production, both famed members of metalcore powerhouse Converge, and that alone should be enough to leave you hungry for what is in store.
Believe it or not, this may be one of the most hardcore and pulsating records Bannon has ever fronted, and for anyone familiar with Converge's discography that's saying a lot. The group feel constantly restless, churning out chugging guitars and visceral shouts ... read more
It goes fast. It goes fast a lot. Like really fast. A lot. Blast blast blast blast blast. It goes so fast it's overstimulating my bowels. I'm at the psych ward being beaten to death by the ghosts of your grandparents. Just a fun fact. This sounds better when it goes mid-paced on the guitar though. The dissonant guitar playing, the fast and muffled drums, and the strained sounding screams create a noise factory. I do like small portions of the album such as the slam riffs, the lead guitar ... read more
I don't have much to say. The production is tight, other than the fact that it lacks some bass guitar. Other than that, I guess the musicianship is competent but the tracks lack memorability.
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Track List
| 1 | Decadence Dissolves 0:42 | |
| 2 | Ethereal Emptiness 2:59 | |
| 3 | Atheist Aesthetic 2:14 | |
| 4 | Mantra of Madness 2:12 | |
| 5 | Fear Is a Fossil 2:23 | |
| 6 | Polluted Paradise 1:16 | |
| 7 | Intimate Inferno 3:40 | |
| 8 | Return to Zero 2:35 | |
| 9 | Blood Blossom 3:51 | |
| 10 | Shadow of Life 4:05 |
Total Length: 25 minutes
Added on: March 31, 2020