You have to hand it to the industrious chaps in Memoriam, producing this, their fourth album since 2017 is no mean feat. Inevitably, one may wonder if there is a corresponding issue with quality given the speed in which they seem to be pumping out material. In fairness, there have been some changes since 2019’s “Requiem for Mankind”, given that founder member and ex-Bolt Thrower drum-bastard Andy Whale has stepped down from the kit, and been replaced by Spikey T. Smith, who has been about a bit and been in bands such as Sacrilege, English Dogs and The More I See in the past. Joining him are the ever-present classic death metal vocals of ex-Bolt Thrower supremo Mr Karl Willets, the man with the funkiest hair in all of death metal bass, Mr Frank Healy (ex-Benediction) and Scott Fairfax on the six-stringer, who – I am informed by Metal Archives is not only ex-of Benediction, but also improbably currently also-of Floridian classic death-metallers Massacre. Memoriam are not a band without a heritage.
As ever, the greatest immediate comparison is that of Bolt Thrower, not only with the musical chops and the war-obsessed lyrical content, but also with the general atmosphere. Opener “Onwards into Battle” is a great example, with the ominous sound and sinister, slow-tempo grind of the main riff bringing to mind the classic “…For Victory” sound. However, this is also the album in which we can see Memoriam spreading their wings a little more, and finding more of their own sound. “No Effect”, for example, has some tremendous middle sections were the music comes almost to a halt, with some great opportunity to hear the skin-bashing talents of Spikey, before some ferocious chorus work comes back in with greater effect.
“Each Step (One Closer to the Grave)” is further proof of experimentation from these extreme music veterans. “Live every moment, like it’s your last / Moving forwards, but don’t forget the past” roars Karl, while the music positively crawls behind it. If you’d ever wondered what it would sound like to have a mash-up of Reverend Bizarre and Bolt Thrower, this is it. It’s positively funereal, and – gentle reader – the lyrics had a massive impact on me, dealing as they do with death and life – given the unfortunate death and burial of my own father in the last month. Sentiment aside, this is a track which really veers off the accepted death metal blue print, and it’s a fantastic accomplishment for this premier-league outfit.
Elsewhere, there is a raging, almost crust-punk attitude and aural middle-finger raised during the defiant rage of “Vacant Stare”, probably the closest that the band will get to their members individual roots in punk and UK crust. There’s more energy and attitude on display here than you will find in 99% of modern “punk” bands out there, and that’s testament to the purity of the music produced by a band that has at least one member approaching the end of his 50’s, but playing like men half their age.
There’s plenty of old school death metal for you similarly old-school fans out there of course, with the title track perhaps fittingly being the most typical in sound for a Memoriam album. Yet, it’s in tracks like the soulful and almost-epic doom moments of tracks like the closer “As My Heart Goes Cold”, that we learn that Memoriam aren’t just the Status Quo of war-obsessed death metal; there is plenty of musical invention and risks to be taken within the general outline of extreme metal.
Fantastic album – and, just as a final aside – can I just praise the fantastic artwork courtesy of (who else?) Dan Seagrave ? Fits this platter perfectly.
Brave chaps – bravo.
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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