Sectioned - Annihilated

This album came out in April but I think it’s worth a quick mention after talking about Frontierer’s latest album considering they’re in pretty much the exact same vein. Annihilated is the debut album by Sectioned and one with which they give themselves a strong footing in the realm of mathcore. While full of spiraling, cacophonous guitar leads, aggressive shouted vocals, and all the short-term unpredictability that comes with a mathcore record, Annihilated is not afraid to vary its auditory assault by dipping into slower, more direct, and punchier grooves to bring a little bit of metalcore dynamic to its mix, the introductory title track being an excellent example of which, as well as the tremolo riff and breakdown of “Starved Lives” and the early slowdown on “Bête Noire”. Like Frontierer’s Unloved (and any good mathcore album) Annihilated requires a few attentive listens to fully appreciate what’s going on, and can sound quite homogeneous upon initial and/or inactive listens. Nevertheless, with a reasonable runtime and plenty to enjoy at the surface level, getting deep into Annihilated is hardly a chore, and it’s a rewarding and immersive listen at each step.

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