With the reissue of albums showing no signs of ceasing this Polish label has decided to pick up one of their compatriot band’s debut releases that was originally out in 1996 on cassette before being issued on CD in 1998. The 1990s was a fertile breeding for death metal with dozens if not hundreds of acts appearing all hoping to grab some of the limelight produced by the trailblazing pioneers some five or six years previously, particularly as the genre started to garner much more media interest at the time.
With a duration of approximately 22 minutes spread through ten songs there is a definite grind like quality to the songs particularly the goregrind genre due to the imperviously low guitar sound which I absolutely worshipped on this album. After a brief intro ‘Underworld’ follows with a swirling battering demolition where those grindcore credentials smash you in the face with maniacal delight. Being slightly longer than the majority of the albums tracks the song expands its destructive power with drum fill embellishments that smooth out the songs angular riffing stabs.
Chaotic and possessing a frantic approach ‘Paranormal’ roars into life with riff changes aplenty, accompanied by the cranium crushing cymbal smashes for added impact. ‘Circle Of Time’ is colossal, where the grinding workout produces an ultra-brutal death metal assault utilising that impervious guitar toning to wreak havoc, in a similar style to bands like Deeds Of Flesh or Necrophagist though with less fret board trickery.
Track of the album goes to ‘Re-Reincarnation’, which actually follows the grindcore dementedness of ‘Reincarnation’, as the former starts with horror movie like footsteps and a keyboard backing you would expect to hear on a John Carpenter soundtrack. The blasting riff is immense producing a similarity to Suffocation at times due to the machine gun drumming style and relentless barrage as even the vocals have a Frank Mullen toning to them here. One minute of utter savagery follows in the form of ‘To God Unknown’ where a fantastic bass riff is unleashed with devastating consequences.
Returning to a slightly longer duration ‘Self Analysis’ has insane speed though not with grind riffing here, preferring the brutalising death metal approach replete with screeching scraping lead break. The blast beat surges offer frenzied switching in the tempo as the cool, but brief, double bass insertion really catches the ear for a gruesome grisly phase. The simply titled outro piece is in stark contrast to the preceding ear slaughter, offering serene piano that is sorrowful in mood and placed like a calming sequence after the sonic Armageddon.
Well worth paying for, either by getting an original copy or this excellent reissue which comes with a sticker on some versions, and a sticker and patch on the limited edition, Poland’s Damnable typify how the ultra-brutal deathgrind mix can be wholly devastating.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
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