On
Elite, the third full-length from deathcore crushers
Within the Ruins, the band returns with an album of technically dazzling metal that often feels in danger of being dragged down by its production. Packed with lots of choppy edits and pans, these stylistic flourishes, while certainly adding a certain hyperactive dynamic to the songs, often feel distracting, taking away from
Within the Ruins' already superb musicianship, leaving the album teetering dangerously on the edge of being over-produced. Fortunately, the bandmembers prove themselves to be incredibly solid songwriters in their own right, so while
Elite might feel a bit overdone at times, the skill and finesse with which these guys execute on their ideas definitely make up for it. ~ Gregory Heaney