God for a Day is the debut album by Chicago metal band Repentance. It’s hard to clarify exactly what genre this band is in, and that’s a good thing. Regardless of label or genre-convention, one truth is constant above all; Repentance are heavy as hell. This eclectic mix of thrash and melodic death metal is a crossover that can easily be too top heavy in regard to getting the balance just right. No band should have to sacrifice their heaviness to wash the song writing out an abundance of melodic lines. It’s a fine line and thankfully Repentance have struck that balance perfectly. “Enter the Gallows” embodies everything that I love about melodic death metal and dials it up to new heights. A song like this could easily rival genre-greats such as Children of Bodom and Paths of Possession with its blend of catchy writing and crushing riffs. The drums and fantastic vocals go a long way to helping this song standout, and this mantra certainly isn’t lost on the rest of the record. This track really comes into its own around two minutes in, with a phenomenal guitar solo that accents the addictive rhythm section. On the more melodic side of this disk, “Where Vultures Gather” channels the likes of Hate Eternal and Arch Enemy. I’m particularly in awe over the sheer swelling intensity that is the song’s chorus. Not since the days of Norther have, I found myself overcome by the ferocity and infectious nature of a track in recent years. The production as a whole is nothing short of exceptional. With metal like this you can typically go one of two ways; razor-thin but just as sharp, or devastatingly thick with the low-end tightness prioritised. Repentance have seemed to choose the latter path. Guitars have a firm and consistent presence in the mix whilst the percussion is understated. This focus allows for the gorgeous lead and rhythm tones to shine and carry these songs well. The vocalist is clearly very skilled in his approach to melodic death metal with a good variety of guttural growls, higher pitch fried screams and throaty thrash bark. It’s rare to hear a full-length debut that is this conceptually complete and executively feature rich. “Deliverance” is what I believe to be the absolute standout. If you’re for whatever reason only going to listen to one song here, choose this one. The snare attack from the percussion combined with the piercing lead lines are nothing short of incredible. If you like your metal music with equal parts melody and punch, then God for a Day is likely to satisfy your cravings. If you, like me, have missed the sound of late 90s and early 2000s melodic death metal, then Repentance are here to fill the void and do so effortlessly.
God for a Day was Released September 25 on Art Is War Records / Intercept Music
- Aleksha McLoughlin
Repentance Is:
Robby J. Fonts - Vocals
Shaun Glass - Guitars
Markus Johansson - Lead Guitar
Mike Sylvester - Bass
Kanky Lora - Drums
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