On the verge of launching their debut EP, Gold Coast metal band Emotion Killer bridge the worlds of nu-metal and old-school, death-metal callousness.
For fans of Sworn In and Make Them Suffer, the 'Tragic Life In A Modern World' EP was self-produced by frontman-guitarist Shannon Loch and features Alpha Wolf drummer Mitchell Fogarty.No stranger to the heavy, Shannon spent his teenage years in bands packing out all-ages venues.
After the cancellation of their national tour due to COVID, Emotion Killer will launch 'Tragic Life In A Modern World' with a Brisbane show (21 August).
Here, Shannon shares a few of his influential metal albums that have shaped the sound of Emotion Killer.
1: At The Gates - 'Slaughter Of The Soul' (1995)
The shockwaves of this album can still be heard echoed in bands like Parkway Drive, The Black Dahlia Murder and Darkest Hour.At The Gates seamlessly moulded the staunch grit of Swedish death metal buzzsaw riffs together with harmonies to rival old, heavy metal greats like Iron Maiden, laying the groundwork for a new sub-genre – melodic death metal.
The fast, down-picked, pedal-point riffing style heard throughout much of the album has been copied by thousands of metalcore bands.
When this album dropped in 1995, into a world where nothing else quite like it existed yet, it was ten years ahead of its time; its impact is still being heard in countless bands today.
2: Trivium - 'Shogun' (2008)
In their 20 years as a band, Trivium have produced 9 diverse albums. 'Shogun' is by far their crowning achievement. Ambitiously clocking in at 66 minutes, every track is worthy of being played as an army charges into battle.With progressive song structures, breakneck thrash riffs, brutal breakdowns, soaring hooks and seven-string 'Guitar Hero' shredding across every track, this album perfectly captures a young band giving everything they have.
Seeing Trivium live and sing these songs in the middle of a sweaty mosh pit are some of my most cherished memories.
The listener is captivated by the sheer intensity for the album's duration, until the middle of the 12-minute long closing track, which serenades you with blissful, acoustic guitar and blues solos. Shed a tear, it's beautiful.
3: Slipknot - 'Slipknot' (1999)
One of the most polarising and influential bands in metal, yet no one has come close to matching the intensity of nine men on a stage wearing masks and bashing kegs with baseball bats.Nu-metal bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and Coal Chamber captured the mainstream at the time, but no one was prepared for Slipknot.
The tribal rhythm of two percussionists accentuates the bludgeoning riffs, sprinkled with chopped-up samples and scratching. Corey Taylor screams his throat raw in the most disgusting way, bringing a hip hop flow to his lyricism.
The atmosphere of the album is truly nihilistic, summed up perfectly by the chorus of 'Surfacing': 'F... it all, f... this world, f... everything that you stand for. Don't belong, don't exist, don't give a sh.t, don't ever judge me.'
Slipknot, as well as unleashing hell across the metal world, gave a sense of belonging to millions of 'maggots' across the world, including myself as an angsty 12-year-old.
4: Suicide Silence - 'The Cleansing' (2007)
Peel back the scene of millions of teen girls adoring heartthrob vocalist Mitch Lucker (RIP), Suicide Silence were bona fide brutal pioneers of a much-debated sub-genre of extreme metal.This is one of the hallmark deathcore albums, bringing relentless, diminished death metal riffs and blasts, only to be interrupted by gut-wrenching half-time breakdowns and slams. There isn't any reprieve from the endless brutal slams, blast beats, high shrieks and growls.
This album laid down the archetype for a new generation of death metal bands who have bludgeoned to death this style of music (pardon the pun).
There is nothing more satisfying than chugging on some brutal, low-tuned breakdowns, and this album is a god damn clinic on breakdowns.
Oh and remember when everyone was frothing over the Phil Bozeman version of 'Unanswered'? EVERY kid wanted to growl like that. I have nothing else to say about this album, do yourself a favour and listen.
Meshuggah - 'obZen' (2008)
Countless bands of the '10s play in filthy, low tunings and doing Djent.Meshuggah were djenting in the '90s before I was even born! Easily the first band to Djent, they are known for polyrhythms, more polyrhythms, and plenty of more djent.
While countless bands rip off Meshuggah, very few can match their complexity and technicality. 'obZen' is one of their most flawless albums, is a great introduction to listeners to head-bang along to.
While 'Stairway To Heaven' and 'Sweet Child Of Mine' plagued music stores in the past, you will now hear many young guitarists and drummers sloppily try and nail the main riff of 'Bleed'. Very djent.
There'd be no Northlane, Periphery, or Emotion Killer without Meshuggah.
