IO, set to be released digitally on September 5th via Out Of Line Music, is the second full-length statement from French heavy hitters Ten56., and it cements their reputation as one of the most punishing yet innovative forces in the modern metal landscape. What this record brings isn’t just heaviness for heaviness’ sake. It’s a dissection of emotion, pain, and violence, sculpted with precision and layered in ways that make it impossible to dismiss as “just another” deathcore album. Following their debut era, anchored by the blistering Sick Dog and the brutal Downer EPs, Ten56. have evolved from raw, furious tantrums into architects of calculated, psychological brutality.
IO is the sound of that evolution crystallized.
From the first track, “Doormat”, the listener is immediately dropped into down-tuned, jagged riffing locked against percussive blast beats, and Aaron Matts’ guttural roars mixed with sinister spoken whispers, instantly setting a tone of confrontation and despair. As an opening, it makes the album’s intention clear: there’s no gentle introduction here, only a full-force ambush. “Pig”, already a fan favourite before the album release, leans into nu-deathcore grooves. Palm-muted chugs wrapped in eerie industrial textures, with a chorus that layers gutturals through distorted effects until it resembles a broken vocoder.
Then comes “Snapped Neck”, where the band allows chaos to take over. A track that constantly threatens to spiral out of control, with tempo shifts that mirror a violent outburst, showcasing drummer Arnaud Verrier and bassist Steeves Hostin’s sharp dynamic control. The guitar work incorporates dissonant intervals that sound like alarms blaring through the mix, while vocally, Matts leans more on high screams, adding variety and evoking panic rather than rage.
The sequencing then takes an unexpected turn with “LIFEISACHORE.MOV”, a glitchy interlude featuring guitars and electronics that stutter like corrupted data. It feels strange, cinematic, and disorienting; almost as if the band is giving you a chance to exhale before dragging you back under. It’s one of the most experimental moments on the album and hints at Ten56.’s willingness to bend genre expectations.
That sense of unease spills into “I Know Where You Sleep”, a concentrated burst of horror under two minutes. Whispered vocals are so low in the mix they feel invasive, before detonating into relentless blast beats and sliding dissonant riffs, conjuring the sensation of being stalked. “Good Morning”, on the other hand, is structured for live energy: driving riffs interlocked with double-kick patterns, it’s a song designed to open pits. The snare tone is sharp, intrusive, and deliberately mixed higher than usual, acting as a spike driving the track forward.
The midsection of the record leans heavily into textural work. “Earwig” thrives on a devastating one-minute breakdown and pitch-shifted squeals, while “ICU” employs industrial-tinged layering that creates a sterile, almost clinical mood around its brutality. This isn’t simply riff-writing; it reflects both the album’s twisted sense of storytelling and its thematic depth, each one portraying different shades of anger, despair, and warped self-reflection. With “PTY FCK” precision is at the forefront, as this is one of the album’s most aggressive tracks, and it feels like a punch directly to the chest. It employs relentless triplet chugs, recalling early 2000s nu-metal grooves but weaponized with modern deathcore intensity.
The irony of “Friends” becomes evident in its structure: Quentin Godet and Luka Rozaka‘s guitars employ cold, hollow chords drenched in reverb, making the track feel desolate, and the rhythm section is even more restrained, leaving space for Matts to deliver bitter, almost spoken passages before diving back into growls. “Banshee” then alternates shrieking harmonics with blast-beat ferocity, displaying technical diversity and blackened flair, and giving it a dynamic not found elsewhere on the album.
The closer, “IO”, is the biggest curveball. The band swerves into hip-hop-influenced rhythms, a spoken cadence layered over distorted instrumentation, pushing against the boundaries of genre. Rather than ending on predictable brutality with an all-out breakdown finale, it broadens the scope of what deathcore can sound like, without ever losing its menace. It’s bold, even risky, but it works as a final statement.
IO is a great journey through psychological extremity. Ten56. have transformed from brute-force heavyweights into architects of immersive brutality, balancing emotional depth with unrelenting sonic assault. Technically, the album succeeds by constantly playing with dynamics, and the mix favors clarity even in the lowest tunings, ensuring that dissonant chords don’t dissolve into mud. Every track feels purposeful in its construction, with sequencing designed to keep the listener off balance.
It is not without risk: the almost unrelenting density of sound can blur the edges between songs for some listeners, often feeling like a continuous freefall into noise and violence. Yet for fans of extreme music, that lack of compromise is a feature, not a flaw. IO thrives on suffocation, on never letting its audience catch their breath, and in doing so, it captures the essence of what makes Ten56. such a unique force. They have built an album that doesn’t just sound heavy — it feels heavy, both physically and psychologically, standing as one of the most suffocating and immersive metal releases of 2025.
The band is set to kick off their first-ever European and UK headlining tour this September, with support from Cabal, VCTMS, and The Dali Thundering Concept. They will perform at The Dome in London (UK) on September 10th.