I'll be starting this blog with an album that I know relatively well, considering it was my first death metal/deathcore album. I received Genesis as a Christmas present in 2007, the year of it's release. Ironic, because the album is basically the Anti-Christ's journal.
The general feeling of this album is paradoxical. There is a strong blandness to the album, yet it has potential for replay value. The riff writing on Genesis is strong in theory, but the songs get lost in the dry, desert-like production. The strongest points of the album are the lyrics and the rhythms.
Lyrically, Genesis is a very focused concept album. The narrative follows the rise of the Anti-Christ in the new world. Jonny Davy touches many subjects taken directly from the book of Revelation, plus a lot of modern context. This was released during the V-chip scare, and the song "Embedded" touches the subject strongly. The lyrical content is very mature. It was definitely thought out and written carefully. Genesis is the first book of the Bible, but the word is defined as the origin of something, or a beginning. The use of the word on the album clearly means the beginning of the Anti-Christ. Very clever, Job for A Cowboy!
The riffing on this album is spot on in certain ways. The crossover deathcore/death metal sound is attractive, and the drumming on the album is entertaining as well, touching close to every extreme music technique. The tonality is what falls short. The sound of the instruments doesn't match the extremity of the music. Also, each song seems to go through a soldier-like motion, being very mechanical and precise. Precision playing is a very good trait, but it feels bland on Genesis.
The replay value of the album comes from the lyrical content, and the styles touched. Even if the production value feels like a saltine cracker, the music is interesting. Genesis is one of the first crossover efforts from a first wave deathcore band. If you liked deathcore and was a youngin' in the mid-2000s, you know the style was looked down upon by Metalheads. Job for A Cowboy was spit on especially. Here, we see an effort to break out of the deathcore genre. Death Metal influence reeks on this album, but it still comes off as deathcore. This is the pull of the album. The riffing makes you want to continue to listen to see what comes next.
The lyricism and early crossover values are the important aspects of this album. If you're partial to deathcore, this album is definitely good for studying. Even purist death metal fans can find a few songs to add to their playlist. These are the only exceptions though, otherwise ignore this release. I am partial to this album because it was my first death metal/deathcore CD, but I don't spin it often.
Production: 3/10
Musicianship: 7/10
Creativity: 8/10
Overall: 6.5/10
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