With roughly three years between releases, Shai Hulud had a lot of expectations to meet with the release of That Within Blood Ill-Tempered. I am sure that I wasn’t the only one who got sick of hearing that it was being pushed back further and further. Well, finally, it has arrived, and let me say that there is little disappointment. I had feared that it wouldn’t be worth the wait, but this is by far their best release.
The first thing I noticed when I got the album was the packaging. It has one of those irritating sleeves (i.e. hopesfall, Snapcase, etc.), but inside the artwork is amazing. The booklet is a really different styled foldout/book combination. Another thing I enjoyed was how the key parts of the lyrics are emphasized in the booklet. It may not seem like a big deal, but it makes the book just that much better.
On to the music… it is very apparent that Shai Hulud made sure that everything was done the way they wanted. No cutting corners. Each song has so much detail and emphasis on perfection. There are amazing overlays and harmonies all over the place. The vocals sound much better than any of their previous releases. They were finally able to capture all the energy and passion into the recording. For those of you unfortunate people who haven’t heard Shai Hulud, they are one of the most intense hardcore/metal bands there is. The guitar work on this album is almost indescribable. There are so many great riffs and harmonies that I can’t really pick a favorite. The typical passionate lyrics that beg you to sing along are back. My favorite quote from this album is in the song "Whether to Cry or Destroy" and goes as follows, “Dare me to breathe, when I can’t catch my breath. Sway my temper’s balance. Only thunder gives me rest.” I could really go on and on about how great I think this album is. I just can’t stop listening to it. My only complaint is the sound clips, they aren’t really necessary and they seem a little out of place.
Sure, it took forever for them to release another full length, but Shai Hulud has definitely reasserted themselves as one of the best bands in hardcore. I don’t want to have to wait three or four years for the next release, but if it comes out anything like this album, I would be willing to wait.
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