Coming to us all the way from Moscow, Despite The Lies is a fairly young band (formed in 2008) that are doing everything they can to break into the metal scene across the globe. Their influences include Hatebreed, Soulfly, Pantera and Slayer. If I were to associate Despite The Lies with any of the aforementioned bands, I would have to say that Hatebreed is closest to their sound. Their debut album Era of Resistance is a groove-infused metalcore mashup that embraces some gutsy guitar riffs and vocal work that is easily comparable to that of Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed).

When it comes to newer bands breaking into a scene that is swamped with acts that offer up a lot of what you’ve already heard before, it’s hard to dig through them all to find those gems that engulf your aural air space for weeks on end. Despite The Lies has a lot of promise in the metalcore scene but I feel like they have a ways to go before they can really break out and shape into one of those definitive acts that all of us search for on a daily basis. Tracks like the opener “Damage” and the title track “Era of Resistance” offer up some awesome chops in the guitar department and throughout the album it acts as a saw that cuts through the meat of each song. The riffs are chunky and attractive, and they play a crucial role throughout the album. Mikhail’s vocals are beautifully brutal and I feel like they are a perfect fit for a band in this genre. I’m a big fan of Hatebreed and Jamey Jasta so Mikhail was a welcome sound.

If you’re looking for faster, in-your-face mosh-worthy metalcore, fast forward to “Popular Brainwash”. If chugging head bounce is more your thing, “Generated by the System”, “Our Truth Will Be Heard” and “Bloody Justice” should be a fit for you. “Bloody Justice” offers up some spoken word and brutal aggression. All of them have some freight train chug work and the groove metal qualities that contribute to neck strain across the metal nation. Chiropractors must love metalheads. Well, metalheads with health insurance.

With Era of Resistance being only eight tracks in length, it’s hard to really get a feel for who these guys are as a whole and what they could be. I dig their sound and I like a lot of what their debut album offers up, but I can’t shake the fact that they are very two dimensional. The songs don’t have a lot of diversity to them. The guitar work is brutal and I love it, but it’s very straight forward and a little bland. It’s your standard power chords and palm mutes. There are virtually no solo moments on the album at all. Unfortunately the rest of the band follows suit as well. The drum and bass work is there and it gets the job done when it comes to upholding the bottom end, but that’s where it ends. There is no real diversity and I felt like each part of the machine was just following orders as opposed to breaking out and trying to offer some individuality. This is a hindrance.

There is good news though. I think Despite The Lies has promise and I look forward to what kind of band they could potentially mold into. A lot of what they display as a band is what you expect to hear in the groove metal and metalcore genres, but I feel like these guys could be more than that. If they experiment a little more and refrain from just following your standard metal band blueprint, I think they might be a force to be reckoned with. One has to remember that they are currently unsigned and yet they have a MySpace page and a full website. Sure, every band has a MySpace page. That pretty much comes with the territory, but these guys have put forth a whole lot of effort for a band with no record label backing. Their passion is apparent in both their presentation and their music. They just need that extra fuel to feed the flame.

3.5/5