Metal Underground.com

The so-called deathcore scene in Australia that’s been boiling in musical underground has started coming to a head in the last couple of years. Bands like Thy Art Is Murder, The Red Shore, Make Them Suffer and Signal The Firing Squad have all put out releases that are packed with not only exceptionally heavy breakdowns and blast beats, but with also fantastic songwriting, crushing live performances and impressive level of musicianship. Another group to add to that list is Melbourne’s State of East London, and with the fresh release of debut album “Repugnance,” the young five piece has stepped up to the plate big time.

After the opening track breakdown track “Causality” - which features a great quote from Richard Dawkins - “Malignant Ideology” kicks off “Repugnance” with an unholy bang, with crushing grooves and well placed blast beats aplenty. “The Iceman Cometh” (probably not a reference to classic Arnie quote from "Batman and Robin") features a pre-breakdown, instrument trade-off that’ll have you diving for the rewind button. Slower-paced “Slient Stranglehold” is tailor made for the live setting.

Frontman Jason Davies has an impressive vocal range, moving from guttural growls to feral screams and plenty of shouts and bellows thrown in for good measure, while the rest of the band’s musicianship is equally impressive. Admittedly, “Repugnance” isn’t a massive departure from the deathcore sound, and to be honest, it’s hard to pick an album highlight. However, that’s not because there aren't any, but rather, there are no obvious dips in quality across the whole of “Repugnance.” The half-hour release is a high point for the modern Australian metal scene.

Angrier than a kicked hornet’s nest, State of East London might be the band to show any non-believers that, when it’s played good, deathcore music doesn’t have to give death metal a bad name. “Repugnance” should be high on the shopping list of those who love a skull-crushing good time.