Open Kasket - Trials of Failure

Angry Metal Guy

I’m a huge fan of picking up bands with little to no back catalog for review. Firstly, I’m notorious for overbooking myself in general life, which leaves only the most precious time slots for researching discographies. Secondly, I get to experience a band at their freshest with a mind unclouded by hype or expectation. Thirdly, I get to take full credit for exposing X or Y band to the greater AMG populace, which increases my POWERS. Enter Little Rock, Arkansas’ death metal/hardcore quintet Open Kasket and their debut record Trials of Failure.

Established a mere three years ago, born of the ashes of the now defunct Omnibane, Open Kasket represents a rebirth of sorts. Where Omnibane boasted a sludge metal sound informed by the hardcore scene, its members experienced a shift in tastes that ultimately led them to this deathly rebranding. With it, Open Kasket offer something more akin to what we hear from Harm’s Way, Glassbone, and Dyscarnate. Meatheaded riffs deliver bludgeoning payloads via the serrated HM-2 sounds we all know and love, fueled by churning attitude and swaggering animosity in that especially injurious persuasion that only the hardcore scene can reliably replicate. Expect snapped necks, splintered spines, and shattered bones to be a regular occurrence as you embark upon these Trials of Failure.

Trials of Failure by Open Kasket

At a tight thirty minutes, Trials of Failure wastes no time beating you into a fine paste. There are exactly three small instances of melody to be found here, all of which occupy brief interstices between stomping chugs and sawing beatdowns. That dead space seems unnecessary in the context of these brutalizing environs, and often takes away momentum and impact from tracks like the otherwise face-caving “Putrid Existence.” On the other hand, ephemeral spasms of silence maximize the pummeling power of those same punch-down motifs which compose the entireties of “Chain Whip (ft. Backbiter)” and “Chemical Death (ft. Zashed),” two of Trials of Failure’s most heavily muscled brutes. This is the cavebrained approach executed throughout Trials of Failure. Get in, wreck shit with mid-paced, chugly riffs, get out and let some other fool call 911. Such a violent formula works wonders for this sound but leaves a fair measure of memorability to be desired as very little variation exists to create dynamic moments of interest. As an additional result of this homogenous songwriting approach, differentiating between numbers becomes increasingly difficult as the album progresses. Consequently, otherwise fun songs “Ersatz (Sin Die),” “Should,” and “Defective” flatten out and threaten recycled material upon the listener.

On the other hand, this offers up opportunities for small flourishes and details to make a big difference. “No Value,” “Internal Threat (ft. Terminal Nation)” and “Ripped Up” all make their mark without changing any major features of Open Kasket’s M.O. Unfortunately, not all of their distinguishing characteristics work for the album’s benefit, either. A bizarre fade-out cheapens the energetic “No Value” by shoving the song away at a premature juncture, making its exit (and “Internal Threat”‘s entry, in turn) awkward. Thankfully, small fumbles like that one aren’t enough to sully the especially venomous “Internal Threat,” and Trials of Failure’s momentum is restored within seconds. “Bruised Sprainsteen” then pushes forward with Open Kasket’s best composition, boasting awesome screamo vox, brutal gurgles, and groovy riffs all packaged inside a hilarious track name, making it one of Trials of Failure’s most memorable items.

While Trials of Failure is far from a perfect record, Open Kasket’s opening salvo offers enjoyable nuggets of muscular, hardcore-informed, occasionally slammy death metal sure to make at least one or two gym playlists. Its high-protein formula guarantees major gains dug deep from within the flesh, and helps its users kick the shit out of puny wimps in any given hardcore pit, should one be provided. Outside of that, Trials of Failure isn’t memorable or compelling enough on its own to stand the test of time. I’m afraid I’ll recover from this particular alleyway curb-stomping quickly enough to make it to work on time tomorrow, and I deserve a better beating than that!

Rating: Mixed
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Barbaric Brutality Records
Websites: openkasket.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/openkaskethc
Releases Worldwide: February 7th, 2025

The post Open Kasket – Trials of Failure Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.