Job for a Cowboy Finally Delivers With Ruination

Get me a moist towelette! I stuck my finger up my ass and I can't feel my legs!

I used to be one of the Job for a Cowboy haters ever since I heard the song Entombment of a Machine. I hated the pig squeals, I hated the scene-cuts, and I hated the influence that it had on the numerous JfaC clones that made Doom seem like Mozart.

...then I saw them live. They were opening for Megadeth and I surely wasn't there to see the progenitors of the deathcore blight that is currently plaguing metal. I never expected to become a convert. Then again, I've never seen a band win over a crowd that hostile that fast. The fact that I was shouting, "Freebird " at them after their first song and then joining in one of the two circle pits by the end of their set made me realize how much these guys absolutely rule. And I could tell that I wasn't alone given that the crowd was silent for the first half of their set and then cheering them on for the second.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I've always felt that JfaC never lived up to their potential. Yes, they are great live and yes, they can play their instruments, but Doom was horrible and Genesis just felt like the band was still learning how how to write songs but it was enough of a step in the right direction that I felt like they were still worth keeping an eye on. Then Ravi left and was replaced with Al Glassman of Despised Icon. Fears that JfaC might return to their deathcore sound due to his addition made me aprehensive about listening to Ruination but thankfully, Jonny Davy- being the sole remaining member- is smart enough to know that the deathcore trend will one day die and wisely chose to make Ruination the album that Genesis tried to be.

The solos are longer, the riffs more technical, the screams form Doom are brought back, and John Rice's debut as drummer isn't the blastfest that I expected due to the tempos being far more varied than they were on Genesis. At the same time, the band still continues everything that was good about Genesis, allowing this to still be a far more accessible album than something that Origin would put out but never as accessible as Bolt Thrower (this is by death metal standards, normal people will still die upon contact with Ruination). It's not a classing by any means but it's the first Job for a Cowboy album that's worth purchasing and it stays an enjoyable listen throughout. Make sure to keep an eye on their career and check them out live if you get the chance but don't expect Ruination to blow your mind.

8/10