Hybrid Sheep - Free From the Clutches of Gods

Hybrid Sheep

Free From the Clutches of Gods

by Danny Sanderson at 09 January 2015, 2:17 PM

France's HYBRID SHEEP have been making music since 2008, and have put out two EP's, one in 2009 and the other in 2012, and have gained a substantial following off the back of both these records. Now they have put out their first full length album, "Free From the Clutches of Gods", and album which is likely to bring to a much wider audience outside of the very insular Deathcore underground.

Straight away, it is clear that although this band is more than just your average Deathcore act. All of the key tropes of the genre are there, definitely, but the musicianship is much higher than it is for the vast majority of band in the genre. "An Illness Called Callousness", for example, has a very melodic edge to it, and the guitar work in particular is very good. Likewise, "Dark Passenger" has more of a Death Metal flavour to it, with a strong and infectious groove. It's a short track, but it's also a very good one. The third track on this album, "From Stupid to Putrid", has some very technical, acrobatic guitar work on it. This is immediately followed by another very groovy, powerful sounding track called "System is Crumbling". It's very clear by this point that this band isn't one that has a conventional sound, and displays their varied and eclectic influences in their music. No one song on this sounds alike, and each song is a stand out in its own way. "Liar's Promises" is a mid paced track which is absolutely made by the guitar work and the drumming, which are both interesting and ferocious. The unrelentingly fast and technical "Plague of Locusts" is another great track which shows off the bands musical ability and talent as songwriters, being one of the better offerings on this album.

"We Were Giants" has a very strong, anthemic feel to it, with plenty of melodic guitar lines thrown in for good measure, and I think this could very well become a fan favourite in the future. The next track, "A Man Chooses…A Slave Obeys" is another decent track, with a great guitar solo, which charges on full force until its conclusion. The penultimate track, "Dead Rats Don't Squeak", is simultaneously the heaviest offering on this record and the one which is most like your standard Deathcore song. As I said, this band have carved out their own niche in the traditional Deathcore sound which sets them apart from the majority of bands within the scene. The last song on this album has a lot of the melodic aspects of many of the other songs, and some machine gun style drumming that fits the music very well. And thus concludes a great album.

Considering that, for the most part, I really cannot abide with Deathcore, I really enjoyed this album. It's worlds apart from the generic offerings of countless other Deathcore acts, and it mixes various influences into a large melting pot, and the music is so much better for this eclectic mix. If you enjoy Deathcore, I would urge you to check this album out. With any luck, HYBRID SHEEP will build on their sound on this record and produce another great album in the future.