Watch Them Die Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
While most of the bands fusing heavy metal and punk rock in the mid-2000s draw inspiration from their '90s substrains, death metal and emo, respectively, Oakland's Watch Them Die look further into the past (though closer to home), toward thrash and hardcore, for the basic elements of their sound -- ironically coming off more groundbreaking in the process. Is that possible? Possible or not, they make for a refreshingly combustible combination on the band's second album, 2005's Bastard Son; possibly because instead of wasting their breath on emo-like sincerity and "I'm so sensitive" lyrics, Watch Them Die seem bent on actively changing the world, hardcore style -- even if they have to annihilate it first! This they almost do with the opening tandem of the title track (a manic thrasher laced with dual-guitar harmonies and black metal-derived horn-like guitar blasts) and "Onslaught" (featuring a textbook hardcore intro and punky bass-driven sections), as well as ensuing brutalizing assaults such as "Belial's Path" and "Born to Suffer." Though not quite as irresistible as the above, extended cuts like "Throne of Lies" and "Horizon" do experiment with slower tempos within the absolute violence, and while "Early Mourning" successfully infuses Eastern melodies into the mix, "Under Flames" comes to a surprisingly mellow, female voice-enhanced conclusion, after terrorizing the neighborhood like the others. Curiously, before wrapping up with yet another frantic tear in bonus track "Armageddon" (a Bathory cover) Bastard Son uncorks a pair of seven-minute epics of identical length, and containing assorted combinations from all of the above varieties. A fine effort all around from Watch Them Die. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Watch Them Die's self-titled debut is a refreshing break from the wave of trendy hardcore-metal released in 2003, and also the hardest, heaviest thing released all year by Century Media. The year's big trends in the hardcore-metal landscape involved bands either delving into emo, aping Swedish death metal, or emulating the mathematical complexity of the Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, and Coalesce. Watch Them Die opt for a less fashionable sound, crossing Pantera with old Bay Area thrash, crusty punk, and bits of classic metal guitar melody into a tight, regimented attack. The production and musicianship are right on throughout, and the dual-personality vocals (slightly reminiscent of Soilent Green) are powerfully delivered, alternating between a bellowing, throat-scraping bark and a higher-pitched shriek that would almost fit on a black metal record. Plenty of bands have attempted, and continue to attempt, this sort of concrete-jungle-bred hardcore-metal sound, and listeners can be forgiven for being weary of yet another band that resembles Pantera to any appreciable degree. But Watch Them Die make it work, thanks to their authoritative performances and their sparing but effective use of dark-edged guitar melody. Again, it's not fashionable, but it's better than a lot of the stuff that is (or was) at the moment. An impressive debut. ~ William York, All Music Guide
