One look at this Japanese band’s moniker and you’d possibly think black metal, then you’d look at their label and think again and you’d be right as this Far East bunch play old school Swedeath from way back and I mean way back at least three decades to the late 80s. This Japanese lot were originally called Frostbite and released a tasty no frills filth driven EP called ‘Scavenger Of Human Dignity’ back in 2013 which I listened to on the Frostbite bandcamp page (here). For some reason the band went into hiatus between 2014 and 2019 but reformed to deliver their debut full length which the band has recorded, mixed and mastered themselves with exemplary results.

Everything about this album is saturated in old school antiquity, from the logo, to the cover art to the production to the song writing right down to the guitar sound, this is old school death metal as we all know and worship. Whether it offers anything above and beyond any of the classic albums that we worshipped in the late 80s and early 90s is down to how stubborn you are and how much you crave that old buzzsaw guitar sound because Frostvore have it down to an absolute art form like a lot of modern death metal acts have these days. You only have to listen to the most recent incarnation of Entrails or Revel In Flesh or Puteraeon (who have a new album due out later this year I might add which I am salivating at the prospect of) to know that. Personally the more the better as each of those bands has their own nuance on the style that I like and Frostvore has their own take.

After a suitably eerie intro titled ‘Abandoned’ the album kicks off with ‘Blackfield’ as the gnarly guitar riffing bites into the listener with abrasive drum work and vocals. The pace is speedy but not blasted as the vocals utilise a guttural throatiness that have the clarity Swedeath always possessed. There are obvious Dismember reference points especially on the guitar hooks that are splattered into the mix as the brief lead breaks are tuneful but need work.

‘Extreme Cold Torture’ has a cool crustiness on the opening riff as the beat has that head smashing style you can really get into before the tempo is notched up. There is little subtlety here as the speed is cranked up as the song swerves into a fine melodic piece. As I said before most in this genre offers their own snippets of ingenuity and Frostvore are no different as the title track takes the listener down a miasmic sludge riddled vat of terror where bass opacity flattens the song with doom death eeriness and a much slower pace. The tangential pace changes are abrupt but effective as the song changes schizophrenically with deft guitar hooks.

Contrasting massively is the frenzied madness of ‘The Reaper’ where the chaos is controlled but frenetic as the song seems to hurtle along with manic drum work filling every crevice before the song unveils a super cool riff and double kick demolition. The fluxing density of ‘Eroded Mind’ allows the songs slower pervading tempo dynamics to amplify its more crushing guitar work. However like I said the band needs to work on the lead breaks as whilst tuneful their longevity are too brief as though the band wants them over and done with as fast as possible as though not comfortable with them yet.

Closing this fine debut full length is ‘Unholy Mountain’ where a superb tuneful initial guitar hook claws into the listener, which albeit transitory allows it to gain a foothold to create a dramatic opening. The song teems with hooks that pour from the song as the songs mid-tempo beat leads into a better lead break and more confident solo that reeks of Dismember and even a slight heavy metal positioning to some extent.

Frostvore’s debut album swells the continually enlarging mass of excellent old school death metal bands to add to your festering collection that is always welcome to these purulent ears.

8/10 (Martin Harris)

https://www.facebook.com/frostvorejapan

https://testimonyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/frostvore-drowned-by-blood