Revocation
Existence Is Futile

The Boston band Revocation, composed of guitarist David Davidson, bassist Anthony Buda, and drummer Phil Dubois, returns to the studio (with the Relapse label) to create their new full-length album "Existence Is Futile", three years after their first album (Empire Of The Obscene).

While in their previous work the guys stood out significantly thanks to their great instrumental technique, in this album they do even better! The Technical Thrash/Death metal they offer is a fantastic mix of three genres: the guitar riffs are highly varied and never repetitive, while Davidson's solos are equally clean and remarkable, as are Buda's bass parts, not to mention the unstoppable Phil who hammers away with insane speed and precision behind the drums. The choruses created by the Davidson-Buda duo with vocal sections ranging between Scream and Growl, further accentuate the fierceness of various passages in the songs of this excellent work.

The particularity of this album is that it is truly varied; it doesn't stray from the genre, and the songs are never repetitive amongst themselves. Creativity, in short, has grown significantly, and considering this is only their second album, we can hope for great works in the future from this new band! However, it should be noted in my opinion that some might not appreciate the band's technique, perhaps considering it a bit excessive, leading them to think of it as lacking in creativity. But honestly, I disagree; the creativity is there, and it is strongly felt! Now let's move on to the analysis of individual tracks (the so-called track by track which some might not appreciate...).

The album opener called "Enter The Hall" is a short instrumental song, not too technical, with brief solos that perfectly match the rhythm; it does a good job as an intro to the album. The second track is an explosive "Pestilence Reigns" which starts with a rather technical and violent riff and never loses its tone, though it might remain slightly "flat" compared to other works. "Deathonomics" is unique; it also begins with an excellent guitar riff that accompanies the verses where Davidson does a good job with his voice, blending with Buda's deeper growl in the chorus, a short but expressive song with a musical section that varies several times.

We then arrive at the title track "Existence is Futile" which is unique in that it starts with a lower-toned riff compared to the previous ones, but the bpm gradually increases as it progresses, and the tempo changes are yet to come! This brings us to one of the best chapters of the album (in my opinion the best) called "The Brain Scramblers": the song features extremely technical riffs that meet even more effective vocals compared to previous tracks, and a remarkable guitar solo. "Across Forests and Fjords" is an outstanding instrumental track, not at all trivial, with excellent rhythmic sections and variations.

"Reanimaniacs" has a very effective, brief riff, but it stays in your mind immediately, truly engaging, as is the call-and-response between the two voices in the verses of this song. We then reach "Dismantle the Dictator", a song for which the band's first video was made, featuring the most technical riffs of the entire album, it is also a very unique song, with an unexpected final solo, truly singular as a track! The following "Anthem Of The Betrayed" remains another easy track to memorize, and Davidson's solo work on the six-string merits a lot of praise, delivering another fantastic riff at the end of the solo!

"Leviathan Awatis" is an original track, at times melodic with excellent guitar harmonies, and it also deserves mention for its excellent bass lines. The closing track called "Tragedy of Modern Age" is another fantastic masterpiece of creativity and technique with a simply fantastic chorus and extraordinary rhythms without, however, going over the top.

If we consider the album as a whole, we could say it is not a work that becomes tiresome after a few listens; on the contrary, it needs to be listened to multiple times (like all albums) to appreciate the ensemble of all the tracks. I give a full five to this work for its uniqueness and for its ability to be truly overwhelming! Revocation is definitely a band to know!!