Album Review: Shinto Katana - 'We Can't Be Saved'

Admittedly, the first two minutes of Shinto Katana's sophomore album 'We Can't Be Saved' misled me to believe that this record would have me snoring in my seat. But despite a slow start, I was almost immediately put back in my place. It's abundantly clear that Sydney's heaviest band have exceeded expectations and undoubtedly stepped up their game. With the increasingly difficult task of creating death metal that provides an unrelenting assault of brooding substance whilst maintaining an genuinely innovative approach, Shinto have managed to adapt their sound to keep listeners on their toes.

The second track, entitled 'Playdates With Wolves' bears a resemblance to some of the band’s more technical contemporaries. But don’t be fooled – this record certainly doesn’t hesitate to provide you with the straightforward but obdurately hardhearted breakdowns that we’ve come to expect from Shinto Katana. Although it’s a rarity on this album, some melodic elegance (reminiscent of the band’s previous release 'Cold Streets') can be found throughout the album, most evident in the song 'Sylar'.

There’s no shortage of knuckle-decaying lead guitar, particularly in track six ('The Cure'), a spectacular display of technical proficiency. 'Pedestrian Wasteland' pays homage to the band’s hardcore roots (which reminds me, play ‘The Bond’!). While 'We Can’t Be Saved' definitely confines itself to the boundaries of a solitary resonance, there is unquestionably something for everyone on this record. Shinto Katana has once again proven beyond doubt that when it comes to savagely heavy metalcore, they reign supreme.

Shinto Katana have once again proved that their brand of ball-breakingly bulky hardcore dashed metal is a force to be reckoned with. 'We Can't Be Saved' displays Shinto's diversity, taking influence from a variety of styles and consolidating them into eleven tracks of death metal that is both destructive and vicious.

1. 'Stranded'

2. 'Playdates With Wolves'

3. 'Sylar'

4. 'Homicide Note'

5. 'Pedestrian Wasteland'

6. 'The Cure'

7. 'The End Of Eternity'

8. 'We Can't Be Saved'

9. 'City Of Misery'

10. 'So Long Stranger'

11. 'Medicate'