Don't I already have this CD? Juggernaut all sounds so familiar and rehashed that it must a cloned disc; either that or it's a generic Job for a Cowboy tribute CD. Knights of the Abyss are one of the biggest bands in the deathcore scene, and I really expected a lot more from them than what the genre typically offers, but that didn't happen. After listening to their highly-anticipated Juggernaut, Knights of the Abyss push forward with a handful of metallic heaviness, but fall back from their unoriginal performance with this mediocre effort; it's just a normal deathcore CD when the days ends.What's a good way to describe Knights of the Abyss' debut? Here's an idea: put in any deathcore CD. Juggernaut is based upon breakdowns, harsh vocals, chugging riffs, and your usual slamming drums; quite generic, as you could probably guess. The whole breakdown-riff-breakdown texture gets pretty old after just a block of songs, because it's the entire core of this record! The mindless repetition is one of the only obstacles blocking Juggernaut from actual enjoyment; it would so much better if they learned to mix it up a bit.
On the flip side, Knights of the Abyss tend to reach out of their unoriginal front on occasion, and actually find a healthy balance between hardcore and death metal. When the breakdowns decrease, you can typically expect a decent section of Cannibal Corpse-like riffing with a tasty side of blastbeats. Also, the growling vocals are sometimes welcomed by tender high-pitched wails when the screams aren't in place, which really adds more to this CD. Please note these fragments on Juggernaut reside as a minority more than anything; death metal is relevant, but the hardcore influence is clearly more dominant.
Knights of the Abyss are painfully generic in many ways, and it really sucks they have to sound like every other namable deathcore band; they could be so much more if they broke apart from the sect. Sadly, Juggernaut is something that's been done a thousand times before, and the band's overall sound is way too predictable for anyone to stomach. Check it out if deathcore gives you a chubby; avoid it like a scat film otherwise.