Keitzer are a German death metal/grindcore band and this is their eighth album.
Keitzer are always reliable at what they do. 2014’s The Last Defence, 2016’s Ascension, and 2019’s Where the Light Ends were all solidly enjoyable records, so it’s great to have the 41 minutes of Pandemonium Humanitas now with us.
Pandemonium Humanitas fuses old-school death metal with grinding aggression, making for an album that’s both crushing and vicious. The songs meld the two well, typically moving between influences with murderous skill. Overall the record probably leans more into Keitzer’s death metal side more than their grindcore one, although they certainly haven’t lost their ferocious bite. There’s a blackened feel in places too, which I like – a track like …Of Eden is a favourite cut partially because of this. I also particularly like Scorched Earth, with its chunky riffs and lethal intensity. Overall, Pandemonium Humanitas is an album that gets better as the tracklist progresses, actually.
Keitzer make good use of melody and steamroller groove, while still unleashing bursts of blasting savagery. The rhythm guitars lead the music in many ways, and they’re layered with a mixture of leads, solos, and gruff barks. Of course, the drums play an important part too, underpinning the music with their reliable presence.
Pandemonium Humanitas is another solid record from Keitzer. If you’re in the mood for some musical punishment then give this a try and see how long it takes to make your ears bleed.
Wonderbox Metal 