This US death metal band started in and around 1992 and this is only their second full length album. With a career spanning many EP’s, there has been a consistent approach to song writing. Over the years the style hasn’t changed much, the production and presentation has with varying degrees of success. For now, this new album represents more so a return to their early days of ‘Divine Decomposition’ than more recent sounds. The style is uncompromised homage to Suffocation, Immolation and similar, one clue is the Deicide cover on this album, namely ‘When Satan Rules His World’, but I would take that as a guide. They style more of the hammer battalion style of the two other name stays in the sub-genre and actually similar to the Polish style of death metal with a blackened overshadow.

The album starts out energetic, brash, harsh and pummelling with that of the presentation of ‘Seed of Baal’. This quickly morphs into ‘Ashes of the Apostle’ and herein I start to waver I have to admit. Over the course of the album is starts to become very similar from track to track. The compression of the guitar sound leaves no breathing space, unlike that of some of their earlier releases. The vocals are what you expect, a little raspy, a little guttural, but they don’t really have any amazing character of their own. The drums are battering, they are quite loud in the mix and this I where I think a trick is missed. The mid-range doesn’t comes across well, in a live setting, the guitars will simply get lost in this mix. That said, the low end gnarl at the start of ‘Cross of Deception’ works out, the old hand pinch harmonics added with guttural regurgitated vocals precedes the up tempo increase in momentum. The puke vocals subside and a more classic approach ensures you can actually hear the lyrical content. The double kick drum sounds triggered, if not it’s too perfect and it’s a touch boring being relentless throughout this track in particular. ‘Eidolon of the Blind’ has a haunting guitar riff at the start, kind of a cross between Slayer and Death before losing the gains made as the song kicks in full tilt.

There were many bands like this 10-15 years ago adopting the same approach in Europe, I feel there is no doubt that the musical aspects are technically top notch, but as a package the album doesn’t breathe enough to allow an attentive listening experience. It seems to rely on in your face shock and bombardment, but misses the trick of memorable song structure and mid-range boost.

(6/10 Paul Maddison)

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