Slaughter to Prevail is a Russian deathcore band, originally from Yekaterinburg, and based in Orlando, Florida.[1] The group debuted with an EP entitled Chapters of Misery in 2015, followed by a full-length album, Misery Sermon, in 2017. Their second album, Kostolom, was released in 2021. The band is currently signed to Sumerian Records and have toured throughout the US, Europe,[2][3] Canada, and Asia.[4] The band has had numerous line-up changes over the years, with vocalist Alex Terrible and guitarist Jack Simmons as the sole consistent members.
History
Jack Simmons was a member of London-based deathcore act Acrania, while Alex Terrible (Aleksandr Shikolay) had gained a cult following online for his vocal covers on YouTube. Terrible was also a member of the Russian deathcore act We Are Obscurity, which disbanded after failing to find a record label.[citation needed] Former We Are Obscurity members Maxim Zadorin (guitar) and drummer Anton Poddyachy (drums) later became part of the initial lineup of Slaughter to Prevail, along with Slava Antonenko (guitar) and Filipp Kucheryavyh (bass).[5][6] Zadorin left the band very early on and was replaced by his former We Are Obscurity bandmate Dimmitry Mamedov.
Slaughter to Prevail released an EP titled Chapters of Misery in 2015. The EP's underground success led to them being signed to Sumerian Records in 2016.[7] Chapters of Misery was re-released under Sumerian Records in 2016. The re-release included a new song called "As the Vultures Circle".[8]
In May 2016, it was announced that Slaughter to Prevail would be joining bands such as Cannibal Corpse for Summer Slaughter 2016.[9] Dimitry Mamedov left the band before Sumerian Records signed them, and was replaced by Simmons' former bandmate in Acrania Sam Baker. Baker only stayed in the band for a year, however, and after his departure the band scaled down to only having two guitar players. Original bassist Filipp Kucheryavyh also left the band a year later and was replaced by former My Autumn bassist Mikhail Petrov.
The band released their first full-length album, Misery Sermon, in 2017. According to the band, Misery Sermon was inspired by the hate and misery within themselves and around them.[10]
During the Misery Sermon cycle, Jack Simmons began a hiatus from touring with the band. He would carry on as a studio-only member, with The Hopewell Furnace guitarist Jared Delgado taking his place on stage.
In 2018, Whitechapel invited Slaughter to Prevail to join their Ten Years of Exile tour alongside Chelsea Grin and Oceano.[14] Jared Delgado stopped working with the band during this period, being replaced by So This Is Suffering guitarist Robert Brown. Original drummer Anton Poddyachy also decided to leave the band in 2018, being replaced by Katalepsy drummer Evgeny Novikov.
The band released the singles "Agony" and "Demolisher" in 2019 and 2020, respectively, to widespread popularity,[15] with Metal Injection saying "The release of 'Demolisher' was an event in the deathcore community. Countless Youtube reaction videos lauded the impossibly deep growls and brutal instrumentation."[16] Jack Simmons also decided to come out of his hiatus, taking part in the public-facing activities of the band for the first time since 2017.
In 2021, the band released another single, "Baba Yaga",[17] named after a being from Slavic folklore.[18] The song elected by Loudwire as the third best metal song of 2021.[19] The band released another single, "Zavali Ebalo". Their second full-length album, Kostolom (English: "Bonebreaker"), was released on 13 August 2021,[20] and included the four singles.[16] Former guitarist Dimitry Mamedov also returned to the band during this time.
In an interview on 30 November 2021, Terrible expressed dissatisfaction with the band's deal to Sumerian Records, attributing it to being "in a fool's paradise" when they started, and to signing without legal advisors. He said the band would likely sue to terminate their contract and continue independently, but "the issue is pending right now".[21] Ultimately, the band decided to stay with Sumerian Records.
On 26 February 2022, the band released a statement on Facebook condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began two days earlier. Terrible issued another statement on behalf of the band via Instagram and Youtube on March 1, also urging viewers to "not make the whole Russian people an accomplice".[22] On August 9, the band released the song "1984", inspired by the George Orwell novel, in protest of the government and the war. The band relocated to Orlando, Florida three months prior due to the effects of the war and previous suppression by the Russian government, as well as an interest in the Florida death metal scene.[23]
On 28 July 2023, the band released the single "Viking", which was followed another single, "Conflict", released on 28 February 2024. On 24 May 2024, the band released the single "Kid of Darkness", and on 15 October, they released "Behelit", with these songs set to appear on the band's upcoming third studio album Grizzly.[24]
Style and influences
Slaughter to Prevail has been described mainly as deathcore,[25][26][27][28] with a major focus on Terrible's extremely deep guttural vocals.[29] Terrible has mentioned that the band has been influenced by other prominent deathcore bands such as Suicide Silence, Bring Me the Horizon, and Carnifex.[30]Kostolom marked a stylistic shift, with reviewers noting influence from nu metal such as Slipknot's Iowa.[16] Terrible also started varying his vocal style more on Kostolom, incorporating pitched screams and occasional clean vocals alongside the growls and gutturals he was known for.
Slaughter to Prevail's lyrics are written in both Russian and English, with both languages often appearing in the same song.[29]
