With 12/21/2012 looming in the not-so-distant future, discussions regarding countless end-of-the-world scenarios are leaping out of the woodwork. Whether it’s the “inevitable” heat-death of the universe or an “unpredictable” sequence of catastrophic events resulting the end of the world doesn’t seem to matter–the punchline is that it’s curtains for humanity. Just as well, Los Angeles-based deathcore act Face Your Maker seem to have caught on, and provided a crushing soundtrack to the forthcoming apocalypse with Dissolution, an EP so unrelentingly heavy and blisteringly brutal that even if the world isn’t collapsing onto itself, this release will make it sound like it is.
Like the beginning of every truly devastating ending, Dissolution begins quietly and softly with a subtle introductory track, “Bloodshed.” However, just as the listener reaches to make sure their volume is actually on, a deep bellowing voice begins to creep out of the speakers–bringing the first true track of the EP along with it. “Dissolution” is everything a title track should be–viciously groovy and spine-splintering with a heaviness so profound and unstoppable the listener has no choice but to sit down, shut up and go along for the ride. The title track is archetypical for the remainder of the EP in that respect: pulverizing breakdowns and catchy grooves trade off with just enough interspersed technicality to keep the listener engaged and entertained.
While the strings provide a strong, baseline-level of beatdown for the EP, Face Your Maker’s real instrumental pride and joy comes from the drumming. Dissolution is filled with non-stop fill-laden, bass-drum heavy drum lines which donate a nearly fathomless depth to the release. “Oblivious’” introduction is exemplary of this–while solid footwork and goosebump-inducing bass drops provide a neck-breaking desire to headbang, the splashy cymbal work and occasional blast-beat keep it ethereal enough to avoid reaching claustrophobic levels of heaviness. In this regard, Dissolution’s drumming is what defines the band’s line drawn between lacerating, slamming heaviness and grinding, grimy grooves. Ultimately, however, where the EP truly shines is where both of these elements are combined, obfuscating the line and blurring notions between smooth grooves and rough, jagged chugging. “Pawn”’s closing breakdown is evidence of this: with a topsy-turvy groove turned into a devastating moment of climactic brutality, every second is nothing but sheer bliss for the listener.
The only thing to provide a match for the drumming in Face Your Maker’s Dissolution is the vocal work and lyrical intrigue to be found throughout the release. “Abdicate” has among the dirtiest, lowest bellows in the entire release, which shine alongside the gutting repetition of the climactic breakdowns lyricism–while the incessant questioning of “Where’s your savior” batters the listener into submission, the griminess of the vocals and the heaviness of the instrumental backdrop put the gun to their head and pull the trigger. “Oblivious” has similar moments of idyllic harmony where the instrumental heaviness is a crystal-clear mirror of the no-holds-barred brutality found in the lyrics and the visceral misanthropy in the way that those lyrics are belted.
If the inevitable heat-death of the universe can bring about releases like Face Your Maker’s Dissolution, then truth be told, I don’t mind the world coming to a screeching halt in a month or so. With lacerating drumming, visceral screaming and chug-heavy groove-laden dynamic that sounds like blending Oceano and Bermuda into a chimeric deathcore chuggernaut, Dissolution is everything a fan of pulverizing deathcore could ever want. 
For Fans Of: Oceano, Bound by Exile, Bermuda, Dweller
