This is the second album from Swedish/UK death metal band Pale King.
Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Heads for the Dead, Just Before Dawn, Those Who Bring the Torture, Wombbath, Ashcloud, Henry Kane, Ursinne, and Gods Forsaken, Pale King know a thing or two about death metal. We Are but Memories brings us 36 minutes of melodic death metal, and it’s as expertly crafted as you would expect from a band of this experience.
Pale King’s melodic death metal is well-written and realised, and the songs on We Are but Memories explore a range of different melodic styles and influences, which gives each track an individual flavour. Each song has its own character, and showcases a surprisingly wide variety of influences. Different songwriting techniques, epic streaks of stirring grandeur, keyboard-enhanced atmosphere, dynamic composition, well-crafted riffs, and a myriad of other features are present across this accomplished album.
So, Pale King offer a refined, relatively sophisticated version of death metal. The heaviness and death metal aggression is still here of course, but this is primarily an album of finesse, rich feeling, and catchy hooks. Think of Pale King, loosely, as a cross between acts such as Amon Amarth, Amorphis, Godgory, Hypocrisy, Septicflesh, Tiamat, and Illdisposed, and you’ll have an idea of the melodic treats that await you.
We Are but Memories is a real underground gem of an album. I fear it’s destined to disappear into obscurity, which is a real shame, as it is a damn good record deserving of much wider exposure than it’s likely to get.
Don’t miss out. Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 