When deathcore became a prominent genre in the middle of the decade, it ignited one of the fiercest debates ever among metal fans. But just as quickly as it rose to popularity, the much-maligned subgenre seems to be dying with similar expediency. Most bands are transitioning into the brutal technical death metal style pioneered by Suffocation and Immolation in the early '90s. The copious breakdowns and "pig squeal" vocals have been replaced with simpler tempo shifts and basement-level grunts and growls. It is a change that most metal fans are more than happy to witness.
However, the majority of deathcore bands choosing to make this change are not doing a good job of implementing it. Many cannot seem to get the song structures correct, either retaining many elements of their old sound or else writing in tempo and tone shifts that are clunky and unnecessary. Others resort to using traits of black metal and death metal as gimmicks to attract more fans. Thankfully, though, there are some bands that have made the change without hitting either of these two stumbling blocks. Arizona's Knights of the Abyss is among this group, sounding like a completely new and vastly improved band on their third album, The Culling of Wolves.
