Spewed into existence in 2008, Oslo’s Repulsive Aggression have hardly been prolific with this being only their second full length release (alongside their initial 3 track demo), but looking at the CVs of the members (including time with Svarttjern, Bloodspawn, and Frail Grounds) that’s understandable.
The old school artwork led me into thinking this was going to be a straight forward, rip your face off, old school death metal offering, and while I could definitely hear elements of bands such as Autopsy, that definitely does not tell the whole story.
Things kick off with “Bleed Them Dry” which begins as no frills death metal, but as the track progresses the sound refines and nods towards the classic Gothenburg sound bringing to mind bands such as Entombed. “Patricide” hammers into the listener’s skull next with a much thrashier edge to the death metal sound, before “Utter Repulsion” takes things down a more blackened thrash path. “Reign” and “Lord of Men” blast by with more melodic, dare I say even groovier, elements coming to the fore. “Beat em Down” is more aggressive and will likely go down a storm in the pits when unleashed live. The tracks fly by without letting up in intensity or momentum, and after just under 38 minutes (for ten tracks), the album is finishing and the closing bars of the eponymous “Preachers of Death” juggernaut ring out.
Let’s be clear, although there are elements of thrash, and blackened thrash, and melodeath and many other subgenres represented, this is ultimately a gnarly, heavyweight death metal bruiser, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the opportunity to catch them live (Inferno please, hint hint!!)
(8/10 Andy Pountney)
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