Final Veredictum: Downfall Of Mankind - The Path Of Human Existence (English Review)

 

In this Final Veredictum, Not'Abaixo brings you the heaviness and symphony of one ot the most promissing bands in the Symphonic Deathcore scene, Downfall Of Mankind.

"The Path Of Human Existence" is their debut, released by Raising Legends in 14 November 2020.

The Lisbon based band is integrated by Lucas Bishop, Claudio Melo, Sérgio Páscoa, Flávio Almeida and Diogo Mota.  

"The Path Of Human Existence" opens up with some great orquestral moments, that demonstrate the symphonic side of this band, but that are abruptely interrupted by the sheer heaviness in the second song, "Agony", which starts with an orquestral crescendo, well complemented by the percussion and guitars, delivering absurd levels of heaviness.

"Oblivion" has fenomenal breakdowns that totally crush us and the way that the band combines heavyness and melody is something extraordinary, and that in the portuguese Deathcore scene is only being done in an inovative way by Downfall Of Mankind.

In "Bow To The Crown" I want to point out the integration of the basslines which have lots of groove and rythm and can be listen very clearly, something that in the Deathcore sound it's not a common thing.

The technic combined with the melody are one of the strongest points that this band has going for them and that is quickly noticeable in the early moments of this record.

"An Evolutionary Descendant" refers to the the path to the abyss that humanity is slowly taking, and the way that man has evolved in the wrong direction, walking towards it's own demise.

The guturals of Lucas Bishop are demolishing and crushing and when he uses his pig squeals, he takes all the air from us, leaving us breathless and in disbelief, by the sheer demonic heaviness that he brings to this record.

All the keyboard elements add up to the harmony and density of the record in a suprising, catartic way.

To end the record, Downfall Of Mankind brought us the bonus track, "They Shall Pay", in which the lyrics refer to the slaughter of inocent animals for human consumption.

Visceral and merciless it's a track that serves as a scream of rage against the conditions that these animals live their lives, just to end up in a slaughterhouse (props for refering for doing an Arcania easter egg) just so they can be served as food.

The inovation that his brought by Downfall Of Mankind has to be refered, this band stray from the rest of the underground bands by combining Slamming Deathcore with their symphonic side loaded with melody.

Although this genre is being well represented on an international level it's something that hasn't been explored in Portugal, and doing in such an amazing level on their debut it's something that blew my mind.

If you want to support them I'll leave the link to their official store.