ALBUM REVIEW: Party Cannon - Injuries are Inevitable

Slam death metal act Party Cannon are a band that not only delivers the brutality and guttural vocals of any slam death metal band out there, but they have fun doing it. With concerts full of confetti, beach balls and pool toys, the band is a unique spin on the genre with a sound they call "Party Slam". With their third album Injuries are Inevitable, their first on Unique Leader Records, and a loose concept album based on an infamous theme park, is the party going stronger than ever, or is this going to be one hell of a hangover?

The album opens with "Weird, But Not Illegal". Opening with a sound clip about being drunk, the song starts off with a count-in drum snare and then WHAM! Pounding, aggressive drumming and pinch harmonic guitar wails. Vocals are deep and guttural in the mix, I think with additional layering to add depth and heaviness in the vocals. Guitars turn the song into a chugging slam section around the quarter mark. Interspersed amidst the slamming guitars is simple double bass, then double timed at certain points. Then, the halfway mark hits and it becomes a full on breakdown. With flurries of double bass, chaotic guitars, distorted layered growl vocals and pinging bass. The riff comes back with the drums, creating a more up-tempo breakdown with pig squeals and snarls throughout the palm-muted chugging. Incorporating goregrind-like pig squeals and pitch-shifted vocals, the song comes to a crashing end with a commercial jingle for the now infamous amusement park Action Park. "Test The Chute" has heavily reverbed drum fills in its opening tom hits. The song is continued brutality, with an uncontrollable blast beat section. A unhinged, chaotic track showcasing the band's attitude of slam, but breaking the norm of slam lyrics. Featuring another reference with another audio clip to Action Park, the song segues into a breakdown with another brutally heavy palm-muted riff. Double bass is pounding and relentless in the mix, but getting overshadowed with the wall of guitars and guttural low vocals. The band is almost mathcore level proficiency in its start/stop, manic pacing and song structure in its sound. One second, its a slam heavy opening riff and chugging piece, into blast beats and an impressive guitar solo, all while tremolo guitars ring behind it. The track is all over the place, but in a chaotic good way, since you won't know where the song is truly going or where it'll end.

"Not Immediately Life Threatening" opens with a very heavy, simple but brutal sounding opening riff. With all over the place drum fills, amidst more quotes about Action Park, the song opens with a chugging and brutal breakdown with deep, guttural vocals. Relentless double bass punches through the mix as the song continues the caveman-slam riff, with introductions to pinch harmonics and even slowing the riff down further. The pace dramatically picks up, to unrelenting blast beats. Vocals become more unintelligible and ferocious in its delivery. Guitars lead to chug after chug, amidst the snarls, pitch-shifting and phlegm-inducing performance of the band's vocalist. There's a unique take on the breakdown near the end, where the drumming is going full kilter and no guitars behind it, before the guitars come in to officially join. Almost creating an inverted breakdown or a unique spin on a breakdown, which I hadn't heard before. "Layne Staley Went Down The Slip N' Slide" features a clip from MTV's Headbanger's Ball where Alice in Chains were at Action Park. Party Cannon are a band that know how to do slam well. especially on this track. The track is more controlled, compared to the other tracks so far on the album. Production isn't too all over the place and the song has more direction and focus. Very in the vein of the goregrind genre, like early-Carcass or General Surgery, in it's sound. I was banging my head throughout the track, especially as the song picks up near the closing three quarters mark.

On "Alpine Spine", the song just goes for the throat right in the opening moments. Punishing blast beats and tremolo guitars instantly punctuate the heaviness of the track. The drummer is just DESTROYING his kit on the track. There is so much power in every drum strike, from blasts to snare hits to tom fills. Overall, the song is just brutal and heavy with the main riff, all while the drumming just causes a weird feeling of organized chaos....if that makes sense. "1983" opens with a military-esque drum roll as distorted guitar feedback walls rise along with the drum strikes. With building drums behind it, the distortion wains and rings in the mix as a brief interlude. A reprieve from the insane audio party the listener has been listening to so far. We come back with "Cannonball Loop". With the full band just going brutal, technical and progressive in its guitar playing and drumming. Vocals are so deep in the mix, they become unintelligible and some moments buried by the super bass-heavy double bass and guitars. The chugging slam riff comes back full-circle after the halfway mark, which gets joined by simple, but also flurries of double bass as the riff and vocals progress. Becoming more unhinged as the riff picks up into a chaotic two-part guitar solo attack. With "Safety is Not Priority", after another audio quote, the cliché slam death metal opening palm-muted riff just kicks the door down. Vocals are higher up and not as guttural then most of the songs so far. With high screams starting to rise above the mix, which is a nice touch. The song is a chug-fest and turns into a heavy as all hell breakdown at the quarter mark and as well as the close of the track. Which I can picture the pit going insane during those moments, if not hit by beach balls and pool toys.

"Bonus Ambulance" continues the onslaught of unyielding drumming and aggressive guitars right from the get-go. The band is just non-stop, pissed off aggression in their sound on the track. Continuing the vocal guttural brutality, and a palm-muted breakdown chug fest. The album's closer "Human Slime" opens with that visceral, phlegm-like "blegh" sound as the riff and double bass kick in. The heaviness and brutality in its pacing of the song does end the record strong. Especially with the closing breakdown of this just over two minute finale.

Party Cannon delivered with their third album a chaotic, manic, uncontrollable onslaught of pure slam death metal. Pushing the slam death metal sound with many elements of technical death metal and even mathcore with its frantic guitar playing at some points. Making a name for themselves with not only the party theme and lyrical motif, but Party Cannon wanted to push themselves further away from the others with this record. The band wants to be the life of the party in the death metal scene, and their party is just getting started with this walking wrecking ball of an album.

SCORE: 8.5 / 10

1) Weird, But Not Illegal

2) Test The Chute

3) Not Immediately Life Threatening

4) Layne Stayley Went Down The Slip N' Slide

5) Alpine Spine

6) 1983

7) Cannonball Loop

8) Safety is Not Priority

9) Bonus Ambulance

10) Human Slime

FFO: Whoretopsy, Ingested, Pathology, Dying Fetus

The band is about to embark on a European tour in May with support from Cognitive. If you want to see if the band is coming to your town, check our their music or pick up some merch, you can head to the band's website HERE .