Deathcore. The mere mention of the sub-genre alone will be a cause for some to completely ignore a band like My Bitter End altogether. Fortunately, My Bitter End doesn't fall into the category of a band that is merely jumping on anybody's bandwagon. After going through a line up change prior to writing 'The Renovation', and focusing on giving the band's sound a complete overhaul, they seem more intent on driving their own.

The influences are apparent from the gate, but not in such a way that would make things sound generic or contrived. The Black Dahlia Murder and Between The Buried And Me immediately come to mind, but more along the lines of mixing the two bands into one. My Bitter End incorporate chaotic off time chord progressions and random moments of melody into their sound, replete with bone crushing breakdowns and an array of extreme vocals stylings, as well as cleans interspersed throughout the album. Stop/start rhythms are the order of the day, alongside loads of double kick work, courtesy of Michael Ranne, that can be compared to the likes of Kevin Talley, Pete Sandoval, and even newer blood like Matt Kuykendall, and Josh Kulick.

Amidst all the chaos, My Bitter End manages to showcase a slightly softer side toward the end of the album, with an acoustic instrumental, entitled "Subtleties". The song basically serves as the eye of the storm. A quick breather before the band drags you right back into a maelstrom of mind numbing blast beats and frenetic fret-burning fingerwork, right on through the album's closer, aptly titled "A Proper Sendoff."

Alot like metalcore before it, Deathcore seems poised to be the next victim of oversaturation. Fortunately, there are bands like My Bittter End that have an obvious knack for keeping things complex  yet interesting. Unlike other bands that are simply formulaic, My Bitter End does not rely on filler to make up the bulk of the album, as each song is strong enough to stand on it's own.

For those of you that despise all things "core", you might just be surprised . "The Renovation" is extreme enough to please all but the most uncompromising of elitist metalheads. Outside of that, this record is sure to please fans of All Shall Perish, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and Between The Buried And Me.