With the number of available and active bands delving into melodic death metal it never surprises me as to the amount of talent the world has to offer in the genre. Many would argue that melodic and death metal are the antithesis of each other though as my penchant for all things brutal and battering will always top my death metal preference list. Miseration possess the unique vocal talents of ex-Scar Symmetry shouter Christian Älvestam whose considerable vocal adeptness really is something to shout about. With virtually all the band members involved in other projects Miseration is almost like a mini-supergroup so to speak and with this third album the band has certainly decided to test the boundaries of not just death metal but the extreme music scene itself. Previous albums by Miseration have uniqueness about them, whether it’s the high velocity melodies, the riveting lead work or the clean vocals on the debut, Miseration are a very interesting and diverse band indeed.
“Tragedy Has Spoken” has reverted to the clean vocal style omitted from the sophomore but present on the debut as I said, and I am very pleased to see them return. It is fair and right to state that Miseration does have elements of early Christian era Scar Symmetry and also Solution .45 whose members were or are part of. The difference between those acts and Miseration is instrumentation diversity and brutality which is unleashed in copious amounts of caustic power. Added to this is the fact that the Swedes have added a multitude of different instruments from around the world, mainly Asia, to add depth and a nice bit of arrogance that works well. More on those later, as the album kicks off with “Stepping Stone Agenda”, a mean bastard of a tune that has a cracking snare blast sound and wonderful throat shredding vocal barbarity. As the tune gets going the first additional instrument is heard, and I could be wrong here, but based on the list provided sounds like it could be the sawblade organ, based on the tone. The metal itself is pure and simple walloping death metal, but with riffs that engage with melody. The drop in pace is very good as you can hear the Mongolian throat singing in the background, something similar to what Nile have used in the past.
“Children Of The Flames” has a straight death metal beat with Benton like vocal delivery, and despite the speed the song is actually quite progressive with quirky guitar runs. Drumming always gets my attention on every album I listen to and review and this album has savage percussion work, that would give bands like Cattle Decapitation, Hate Eternal and Morbid Angel a run for their money. It also has the speed of Cryptopsy, the jack hammering style of Krisiun and the rhythm of Fear Factory. This tune contains another new instrument which sounds like the Santur also called the hammered dulcimer, the sound is unique and you will recognise the tone instantly. “Ghost Barrier” follows with parts that reminded me of Deeds Of Flesh’s monstrous brutalising with episodic and frenzied bursts of maniacal speed. This song uses the Esraj, creating that archetypal and stereotyped Indian sound we all recognise, and whilst I’m waffling about these instruments they really do work within the context of each song, though their dominance in the mix is quite low and you could miss them if you weren’t paying attention. There is something really intriguing about this album, and even if you strip away the varied instrumentation this would still be pummelling and battering death metal. A drum solo starts “Hill of The Poison Tree”, a super fast snare blasted song that also uses vocals similar to a Devin like layering style; epic and substantial. Musically though this is an obliterating death metal song.
“Disaster Cage” has a deathcore like riff as more instrumentation is added, which I’m not too certain about, could be the sawblade organ or the Esraj, as the tone is very bizarre, unnerving actually. The speed metal riff outburst on “On Wings Of Brimstone” follows on from a very serene guitar intro that has the mandolin the band says has been used before an immense double kick blast assault is unleashed. The clean vocals make a first appearance and at this point it made me realise how similar this album is to the World Under Blood release “Tactical”. The chainsaw riff that opens “White Light / Black Rain” is plain vicious right before the maniacal blast beat that is definitely very like Cryptopsy here. There is an old Gothenburg feel to “Tomb Of Tephra” akin to At The Gates as a reference point, as this song also utilises eclectic instrumentation for depth and atmosphere. Closing this great album is “Waylayer” which starts with some keyboards and owl noises it seems that create an old horror movie feel and develops with a slow double kick and a slightly off kilter guitar tone. The tune is bounce, djent like I suppose, with progressive elements showcasing significant flair and dexterity.
I would never pretend to have got the instruments listed at the correct point in each song, but given no guidance I have done my best, but it is worth adding that this is a cracking death metal album and will certainly give you new things to hear each time you play it, something that is potentially missing from many albums released in the extreme scene. Creativity courses through this band’s molten metal veins and you would do well to check them out pronto. Astonishingly brilliant.
9/10 (Martin Harris)
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