Hate Eternal are a US death metal band and this is their seventh album.
Muscular and taut, Hate Eternal are a band that channel the sheer primal force that death metal is capable of. The band’s music is technical and brutal, but not massively overly so in either direction, preferring instead to Continue reading “Hate Eternal – Upon Desolate Sands (Review)”
This is the second EP from Engulf, a death metal solo act from the US.
This 11-minute EP wastes no time in establishing the dominance of its brutal death metal assault. This is music that takes no prisoners in its quest to lay waste to everything and everyone around it. Continue reading “Engulf – Gold and Rust (Review)”
Vomitile are a death metal band from Cyprus and this is their third album.
War and slaughter, that’s what Vomitile offer us on Pure Eternal Hate. The album title and cover adequately portray Vomitile’s brand of punishing death metal, and they give us 37 minutes of material to become battered and bruised by. Continue reading “Vomitile – Pure Eternal Hate (Review)”
Invasion are a death metal band from the US. This is their fourth album.
War metal. What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing. (Say it again).
WAR!
BOOM!
Yes, that’s the level of my humour today I’m afraid… Continue reading “Invasion – Destroyer of Mankind (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Bestial Deform, a Russian death metal band.
Bestial Deform were created in 1990, so it’s safe to say they have a lot of experience playing death metal. This is their first album since 2005 and features both new songs and older ones that have been re-recorded.
The band play a Continue reading “Bestial Deform – …Ad Leones (Review)”
Unmerciful are a brutal death metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Here we have a combination of relentlessly savage death metal mixed in with some USDM influences, giving the band some groove to go along with the pounding blast beats. I hear elements of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal in their sound – all upgraded with a thoroughly modern delivery and precision of assault.
However, it’s the speed that is the real thing here. Unmerciful like to play fast, that’s for sure. The drumming is hugely Continue reading “Unmerciful – Ravenous Impulse (Review)”
This is Fractured Insanity’s third album. They are a death metal band from Belgium.
Fractured Insanity play brutal death metal that’s intense and well-written. Although this is predominantly on the brutal end of the spectrum, there’s also elements of technicality at play here, which just adds further depth to the music.
Think a combination of Nile, Behemoth, Severe Torture, Malevolent Continue reading “Fractured Insanity – Man Made Hell (Review)”
Abnormality are a Death Metal band from the US. This is their second album.
Abnormality’s 2012 début album Contaminating the Hive Mind was a standout slab of unrelenting brutality, really placing them highly in the extreme Metal hierarchy in my mind.
Well, it’s been four long years, but now Continue reading “Abnormality – Mechanisms of Omniscience (Review)”
Imperium are a technical Death Metal band from the UK. This is their second album.
Ahh, Death Metal, most reliable of all musical styles in many ways. All you need is some decent blasting, aggressive vocals, a production with punch and you’re in business. Enter Imperium.
This is the second album by Canadian Death Metal band Fragile Existence.
Featuring the extremity of Hate Eternal, the groove of 90s Death Metal and the Progressive tendencies of Death, Fragile Existence’s second album is 48 minutes of timeless Death Metal that pays homage to multiple Death Metal styles yet remains its own beast.
The songs are interesting and varied enough to hold attention while retaining the core heaviness of Death Metal’s angry bite.
Although they can pile on the blast beats when they need to, the songs are more about creating moods and telling musical stories than anything else. Cataclysms and Beginnings is full of mature songwriting in this sense, as these songs are very accomplished.
The vocals are mainly fleshy and deep; growls that are somewhere between a roar and a rasping shout. Staying at the deeper end of the grunting spectrum, the singer has a fluid aspect to his voice that stops him sounding completely guttural.
The guitars on this album are very enjoyable. Tasty riffs and licks abound, and the amount and length of some of the solos make me a happy camper too.
The Progressive elements in the songs work seamlessly with the more brutal aspects to create songs that are satisfying on both levels. The band have taken the time to craft songs that have a purpose and meaning, rather than just stringing riffs together for the sake of it. The rhythm guitars, drums and bass work together to further the needs of the songs and all instruments have their chance to shine, but only when necessary.
This is a very complete album and by that I suppose I mean that it has a lot of different facets to it and enough depth of composition and delivery to make a lasting impression. It reminds me, in some ways, of Helping the World to See by Vehemence. The albums are similar in many ways, and both take the listener on a journey through interesting and thoughtful Death Metal.
Cataclysms and Beginnings is a very thorough, engaging and impressive slab of mature Death Metal. Definitely one for you to investigate further.
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