Are Memoriam the hardest working British Death Metal band? You’d be hard pressed to find a band who have been quite so industrious with their release schedule, with this – their fifth album in six years, and coming just less than two years from their previous album, “To The End”. For the uninitiated, (and there can’t be many of you left), Memoriam are the band that has members from Bolt Thrower and Benediction (among others), and have steadily and subtly been moving away from their influences into their own sound.
“Rise to Power” sees the band arguably at the height of their powers, but also probably the album that really cements the “Memoriam” sound proper. Whilst we know that both Bolt Thrower and Benediction would tackle some weighty and grisly topics, neither was really grounded in the grim nature of reality like Memoriam. Starting with the self-explanatory “Never Forget, Never Again (6 Million Dead)”, this is a band that doesn’t want to smother anything in any metaphorical lyricism – this is the death metal band that is going to give it to you straight.
“Total War” erupts from the speaker next, and those melancholic guitar licks courtesy of Mr Fairfax add a sombre tone to what is occasionally a raging number. When the tempo increases, I am really reminded of some vintage Terminal Spirit Disease-era At The Gates in terms of the riffing and relentless rhythm section, but once the velocity drops to crawl level, this has more in common with the heavier moments of old My Dying Bride than any kind of melodeath nonsense. Of course, the hoarse and impassioned vocals of Karl Willets always keep things grounded and gritty.
“I am the enemy” starts at a leaden pace; the fog above the battlefield before the push, as it were. Frank Healy of course is no neophyte bass player, but his work here with the ultra-funky, punky drumming of Spike Smith really carries the track. Whilst Scott is making those delicate interweaving melodies in the background, the bass really fills the space where the main riffing would ordinarily be, not unlike some of Motorhead’s music – if not in sound, then in approach.
“The Conflict is Within” carries on some of the lyrical content of the song before it, in making it plain that much antagonism and the source of a lot of aggression is misdirected from people’s own insecurities. This is a churning, grumbling mid-paced stomper of a song where the drumming is really the star; Spike’s way of pummelling and yet making it sound so damn infectious is a feature of this album. If your head isn’t nodding away listening to this, I think you may need to go and seek medical attention.
“Annihilation’s Dawn”is an absolute head-down crusher. In terms of a straight ahead, old fashioned death metal song, this is probably the closest you’ll get to all album. That isn’t a bad thing, of course, because it features that tank-tread riffing that feels like being crushed under a 90 ton war-machine.
“All is Lost” has moments of dissonance, rambling, almost out of control drumming and some cavernous, haunting guitar melodies. It’s a sorrowful, resentful number that straddles that fine line between slow death metal and doom, but manages to always keep just the right side of it. You’re not going to be using this as a soundtrack to victorious moments in your life, but again – by Christ – some of the drumming patterns here are so atypical yet effective that they need singling out for special praise.
“Rise to Power” is the fittingly epic centre point of the release, with a triumphant and epic swell, where when Karl bellows “No place to hide, nowhere to run”, you’re inclined to believe him. “No more tomorrow, head the reaper’s call / no time for sorrow, death comes to us all”. The track would appear to be a reference to “the King”, who sits on his throne in the fantastic cover art for the album. When the lurching, grasping outro comes calling with the shout of “RISE!”, you can imagine this being an absolute belter in a live setting.
Album closer “This Pain” comes with an acoustic opener, before launching into more settled territory. At almost seven minutes long, it is a fittingly epic way to finish off a superb album. Throughout the whole collection, the production is fittingly beefy, but without any of that artificial punch that can sometimes ruin modern albums.
If you want to hear the grim reality of modern life and conflict, “Rise to Power” is the soundtrack of the now. Unflinching, unhesitating and unrepentant.
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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