Bury Your Dead

Beauty And The Breakdown

[3/5] You pretty much know exactly what to expect from a Bury Your Dead record: pure testosterone-fueled mosh-pit mayhem, the kind that inspires countless hours of sweaty, shirtless fun for juiceheads and the beer muscle-endowed masses everywhere. That’s not to say that BYD aren’t damned imposing at what they do; the band’s unrelenting fusion of metal and hardcore-which immediately recalls influences like Korn, Slipknot, Pantera and Hatebreed-is nothing if not potent. It’s just that BYD’s entirely singular vision and near-total lack of variety make for a somewhat ear-numbing experience. (And if everything’s a breakdown, are there no longer breakdowns?) The word is, BYD were splitsville before they recorded Beauty And The Breakdown: Somewhere, there’s a kindred soul who’s s very happy to have a new disc to play at his backyard wrestling ring. (VICTORY) Brendan Manley