Deathcore in Germany? Is that even possible? Well, as it happens, Germany has deathcore bands. Not in my hometown certainly, as metal isn't in existence here. Walking Dead On Broadway are hailing from Leipzig where metal is a lot more alive than in the heart of Bavaria, at least when it comes to the local music scene.
Walking Dead On Broadway have been able to build up a decent fan base within the two years they've now been around in the music scene. People seem to be losing their minds about this band, the press talks about "a new star on the deathcore sky" and "the German equivalent for Whitechapel, Suicide Silence or Chelsea Grin". Whatever. I didn't like their debut EP "Welcome To Corpse Wonderland" from 2012 too much. At least the songs didn't repeat themselves, but still, it was a very noisy and dull listen. At least some people seemed to like it, though, and Walking Dead On Broadway are presenting their first full-length release "Aeshma" two years later in 2014.
I can't really say the band did everything very well, but neither completely wrong. They play it safe really: The music is basically composed of run-off-the-mill riffs, groovy structures in the style of Whitechapel, blast beats, breakdowns everywhere, demonic growls and high-pitched screaming and last but not least, the same old lyrical topics of deathcore. I'm not down on all that, but it's not enough to make me like a deathcore album either. There is one or two nice guitar solos on the album, though, and surprisingly, I did indeed hear some melody trying to make its way out of the everlasting breakdowns and blast beats and shit, well, at least at some point, until it disappeared behind the everlasting breakdowns and blast beats and shit again. I wish there would have been more moments like this during the 34-minute record. To top it all, I didn't understand one. single. word that guy was growling or screaming.
So to sum it up: Walking Dead On Broadway may have a little bit of success in the future, there is just too many kids who celebrate deathcore. But I didn't enjoy this album apart from some passages. I think the band needs more depth and less ... noisiness, more focus and variety. Just look at Winds Of Plague, a band that mixes deathcore with symphonic elements and hardcore. You can't play classic deathcore nowadays anymore, you have to be original and to be honest, I don't hear too much of a original approach on "Aeshma".
