MORTUARY DRAPE - Buried In Time

MORTUARY DRAPE
Buried In Time
Avantgarde Records
7/10





From the moment you pop in the disc, Morbid Angel instantly comes to mind. But whereas the initial technical trickery of these accomplished black artisans is reminiscent of that style of playing, ‘Buried In Time’ illustrates a group that has formed an impressive album of death metal with a razor sharp edge.

The quality of the production here is simply awesome. You’ve never heard such excellent drum and cymbal tones on a death metal record before, and the mix is dead on. The record was recorded at AlphaOmega studios, hailed as one of the predominant recording facilities in Italy.

Guitarist Cruel Abbot has an interesting style which is progressive and iconographic, damaging with its concentrated vehemence. The onslaught of tracks like ‘Unfading Revenge’ and ‘Look Behind’ palpitate with a dark energy and vindictive force.

Drummer War Machine Helgast performs complex, laborious double kick patterns and difficult time signatures with painstaking precision. His performance stands out as that of an extremely focused and rehearsed player and his skills place him among the elite of the genre.

Diabolical ringleader and only remaining founding member Wilderness Perversion has a predictably granular growl, but he enunciates well, making his acrimonious lyrical rampages understandable and much more listenable than some singers who just scream unintelligibly. His performance is especially capable on ‘Who Calls Me’. Arcane of Veiled Light (yes that is his name) manages some decent bass fills on occasion and capably supports the drumming madness of Helgast.

Mortuary Drape remains a band to be reckoned with and line up changes has further enhanced the capabilities of this weighty group.

Written By: Harvester Crowlee

TOTAL DEVASTATION - Reclusion

TOTAL DEVASTATION
Reclusion
Firebox Records
7/10





Total Devastation proves to be both brash and at times, completely relentless on its newest record, “Reclusion”. This six-member Finnish metal act tears through eleven gruff tracks of an industrial strength with the abrasive barking of Jaakko Heinonen making for an excellent compliment to the band’s power chord based, wall of sound guitar rumblings.

“Divine” is a bottom heavy thumper that morphs into blasting and webbed riffing. The group incorporates more than a few different types of influences, but takes things from a left of center approach.

Highlights here include a spinning vortex of sound called “Converted Illusion” and the savage opening cut “Murderous”, where Total Devastation actually manages to live up to its menacing moniker.

The propulsive “Ground Zero” finds the group slyly straddling the line between Gothenburg and metalcore influences, which works wonderfully. This track is definitely the sleeper of the album.

On “Well Of The Dead”, Total Devastation try their hand at a bit of doom. Enhancements gives the song an electric nature, giving listeners o taste of cyber-death metal that is something completely different than Fear Factory.

A surprisingly well put together project, “Reclusion” has a great deal to offer those who crave supercharged metal of many moods.

Written By: Withered Corpse

MORGOTH - The Best Of Morgoth 1987 – 1997

MORGOTH
The Best Of Morgoth 1987 – 1997
Century Media
9/10





This is a massive collection from one of the top purveyors of death metal in the late eighties and early nineties. Morgoth were slaying crowds with their unique brand of aural violence when most of today’s death bangers were in nursery school. Marc Grewe possessed a voice that was the sickest thing this side of Tardy, vomiting out the possessed, demonic sounding screams that gave the band it’s undeniably brutal nature.

A superb career retrospective, this album encapsulates a decade where Morgoth would rule the death metal stages of Europe with an unforgiving vengeance. The power inherent in this group’s forceful, hell-spawned sound runs through the course of this retrospective. From the band’s original ‘Pits Of Utumno’ demo through their more adventurous foray into sonic madness, ‘Feel Sorry For The Fanatic’, the group explores numerous pummeling avenues of musical brutality.

Despite their experimentation with different aspects of musical darkness, Morgoth never failed to deliver an exaggerated attack of thrashing, deathly force. ‘Burnt Identity’ is just as uniquely savage sounding as it was when released back in 1990. This signature song is one of the most catchy vomiting death songs ever written and it stays entertaining with some interesting tempo switches that enhance the song’s overall weightiness. ‘Body Count’, from the ‘Cursed’ album is a track that is well named for it leaves the corpses piled to the sky in its wake. Within the somber chords of ‘Isolated’, listeners find the group taking an approach of pure doom that further serves to emphasize the tracks gargantuan strength as Grewe spills his trademark vocals forth like a tanker of blood, thick and messy.

On the group’s final album, ‘Feel Sorry For The Fanatic’, the group took a more commercial turn that sadly lacked the vomitous vox of previous releases. Tracks like ‘This Fantastic Decade’ show that the band could pull off a creative left turn just as easily as bands like Tiamat were experimenting with during that time period. ‘Decade’ contains low-fi production that makes the band’s tone dirty, yet without a doubt, more melodic than any previous Morgoth offering. Meanwhile the diehard fans of this act will greatly appreciate the inclusion of the ‘Pits Of Utumno’ demo in this package, offering a glimpse into the product of the formative years of the act that is truly a crucial piece of death metal history.

The inclusion of 24 audio tracks overall in this 2 disc set should be enough to satisfy any Morgoth follower’s appetite, but it’s the inclusion of six videos with this package that turns this compilation from a great set to a mandatory purchase. With videos for ‘Isolated’, ‘Cursed & Sold Baptism’, Under The Surface’ and ‘Last Laugh’ as well as two great live clips, ‘Body Count’ and ‘Resistance’ this comprehensive assemblage from the most mighty of the European death metal groups is to fucking die for.

Written By: Maggot Farmer

NIGHTRAGE - Descent Into Chaos

NIGHTRAGE
Descent Into Chaos
Century Media Records
8/10





Nightrage brings the listener a thrashing attack that rests right upon the cusp of death metal on “Descent Into Chaos”. With superior screamer Tomas Lindberg fronting this rather aggressive group, there’s little doubt that comparisons to Lindberg’s former ensemble, the much revered At The Gates, will instantly come to mind.

Lindberg sounds somewhat more focused here, lashing out with raspy barks that are a perfect compliment to the chugging, intensity the band delivers. ‘Phantasma’ is truly a killer cut, sounding like the angrier big brother of Dark Tranquillity, relying more upon sheer, brute force than atmospheric concepts. It is a bit surprising to hear “Poems” sounding accessible; the riffs mirror Shadows Fall somewhat, while the vocal onslaught continues with gruff intensity. The striking imagery that graces the disc’s cover relays the over the top intensity that Nightrage brings to the table on the title track, a rabid, violent thrasher that cuts a swath toward sonic annihilation.

Nightrage knows when to lock into a groove and although there is a great deal of faster-tempoed ideas on this record, this five piece plays together tightly, opting to beat the listener over the head repeatedly rather than make swift strikes which seldom connect. Gus G. (Dream Evil) definitely makes his presence known on the tuneful thumper ‘Frozen’, injecting a melodious riff into the foray. Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity) guests on this track further adding to the inventiveness of the group’s overall sound with some well-placed clean vocals. These vox give the song an interesting hook that is quite memorable.

The addition of some fantastic guitar soloing makes this song one of the highlights of the record. The detuned, bottom heavy sounds of “Silent Solitude” make for a solid moshpit anthem that again reaches for a growling hook from Lindberg. Producer Patrik J. Sten hes a great ear for putting out this style of music, everything is mixed very well and the levels all line up in order to create a full sound that is heavy as hell, but slightly polished as well. Things get hectic on “Omen”, which is delivered at a breakneck pace, designed for total thrashing and destined to get crowds going crazy.

A break from the intensity is found in ‘Solus’, an instrumental focused of melody and power that reminds the listener of “Risk” era Megadeth.

Nightrage pays homage to old school thrash metal on the venomous “Reality vs. Truth”, which closes out the album on a headbanging note, sounding similar to an even more intense version of The Haunted.

“Descent Into Chaos” is a powerful album on several levels is definitely one of the surprises of 2005.


Written By: The Boatman

PANZERCHRIST - Battalion Beast

PANZERCHRIST
Battalion Beast
Neurotic Records
8/10





As with so many albums, production is the factor in keeping Battalion Beast from being a truthfully great record. Although it's likely that this is intentional to a certain degree, the bony, tinny production encountered here is much more suitable toward bands like Arkhon Infaustus and Angelcorpse than a outfit with a stronger Death Metal perspective like Panzerchrist. With out the low-end rumbling and compressed sound that characterizes so many brilliant Death Metal records, the impact is substantially lost. While Battalion Beast certainly has better production than the band's last full-length attempt, Room Service, it still does not bear the proper weight required to make this a great Death Metal album.

This is not to say that the intense, yet balanced "War In The North" or "Flame Of The Panzerchrist", a cut that gets started with a doomy preface (complete with tolling bell) and is followed by a Slayer-esque, medium-paced bout of chugging, aren't the type of cuts that make you want to gain a swift case of whiplash. These tracks are good, they could simply sound better. Most impressive is the rapid-fire blasting and solid footwork from drummer Reno Hilligsø Kiilerich. Hisstamina and exertion forms the backbone of the track "He Is Dead Who Will Not Fight." Kiilerich's playing elevates Panzerchrist from being an average group to one that shows glimpses of dominance.

All in all, Battalion Beast is yet another solid effort from these war-mongering Danes. While there’s not much progression to be seen on this album, the group still executes its deathly war with body-stacking effectiveness. While not yet in a league with Impaled Nazarenes of the metal world, Battalion Beast brings Panzerchrist one step closer to such greatness.


Written By: The Boatman

POLTERCHRIST - Engulfed By The Swarm

POLTERCHRIST
Engulfed By The Swarm
Season Of Mist Records
Death Metal
7/10





Polterchrist transmits fierce death metal and tuneful moody movements with ease on their latest 'Engulfed By The Swarm'. My biggest complaint about the record is that the vocals are pushed back in the mix, rendering the Quarthon-like howls of vocalist Kevin McClintock difficult to hear at times.

That said, this band's style of composition is unique, ranging from swirling Death Angel style riffery to squealing harmonics which lend a nod to death metal giants Pestilence. The album cover art is pretty cool; featuring strangely mutated locusts overtaking a Japanese city...I enjoy the originality of this concept, which is not your run-of-the-mill death metal fare.

An electronic intro kicks off 'The Art Of Ferocity' and when the vocals set in, I am reminded a bit of The Kovenant until the band settles into a straight forward thrashing jam which makes you feel as if you are looking over the edge of the abyss...Veterans of the Philadelphia metal scene, Polterchrist display a high degree of originality on tracks like 'Alone' with it's ethereal, lost sounding vocal beckons and the chilling 'Desolate Paradise'.

Remixing this album so that the vocals (which are actually quite masterful) were more clear and upfront would add another point to the rating.


Written By: Maggot Farmer

SEVERED REMAINS - A Display Of Those Defiled

SEVERED REMAINS
A Display Of Those Defiled
Comatose Music
7/10





Seven tracks of low-end rumbling and grumbling in the vein of Suffocation make up “A Display Of Those Defiled.” One may infer that Severed Remains are really into the New York death metal giants, seeing that this disc includes a cover version of “Liege Of Inveracity.”

Ben Rubin and Andrew Marunowski unleash a ripping guitar assault on the fast paced and highly technical “Prelude For Dementia” as vocalist Joe Reed issues deep guttural barks that are nothing less than earth shaking in their abject intensity. The group bursts forth with an insane blast to kick off “Grind…I Just Might” that rivals their more well known death metal peers in terms of sheer intensity.

Drummer Anthony Biello comes up with some fantastic stick work to usher in the squealing “Shishkafuck”, a track that assaults the listener with a pummeling onslaught of scalar ripping and frenzied rhythms. Two remastered demo cuts are included here, the better of the two being the bizarre “Derived Of Fluids”, where the production is virtually unlistenable, but this disc would have been better off if both of these horribly recorded tracks were left off.

Fear not, the group digs into the Suffocation cover quite proficiently. Not that many bands can pull off the intensity of a Suffocation track without error, but Severed Remains definitely deliver here.

Absolutely an item that would be of interest to any fan of low rumbling death, “A Display Of Those Defiled” hits the mark five of seven times, which is not so bad at all.


Written By: Maggot Farmer