Starting out as a much rawer gore n’ grind outfit this trio from Osaka Japan have taken their time evolving through various demos and short releases leading up to what we have in front of us today in the form of their debut full-length. The warts and rust have come off a fair bit and this is a fluid and melodic dose of death metal that is obviously crafted on what we have come to know and love from the European scene. I have to admit the more brutal side of DM goes over my head and so pressing play on this somewhat warily I was immediately pleased that intro ‘Devastated Earth’ had ominous bells tolling and wind whistling setting things up for what was going to be a somewhat groovy ride in the form of doom-laden first track proper ‘Blizzard Of Death.’

Musicianship is tight and once the roar of vocalist and guitar player Yuto Kotani joins the fray you cannot help acknowledging that there’s a fair bit about his delivery reminiscent of Martin van Drunen of Asphyx et al, matching the chugging rattle of death from the instrumental side perfectly. It’s all quite accessible and gets the head nodding along in appreciation rather than trying to simply lop it off your shoulders and there’s plenty of heart in the snaking guitar leads and rhythmic bounce of the music. Galloping away a bit faster and launching out some hefty death growls, there’s a punky Bolt Throwing clamour to songs like ‘Eroding Natures’ and the thick bottom end from the bassist really makes its mark as do some squealing solo guitar parts. But it’s the skeletal guitar runs that really do it for me, the one at the start of ‘Demise Of Humanity’ for instance is great and really gives you an apocalyptic, all hope is lost vibe, very reminiscent in style to all your favourite SweDeath greats.

As the group rattle through the ten tracks here, the balance between melody and old-school gnarl and crust should appeal to any death-head who doesn’t simply want to be simply brutalised by all out extremity or have their music corrupted by newer core trends. It certainly does what is suggested and keeps everything on point right down to the great ghoulish artwork and band logo. There’s a fair bit of early Entombed rot n’ roll to songs such as ‘Hopeless Life’ and the dark tones juxtaposed between the meaty drumming bounce is neatly dished up.

This is a solid album and a fine find from the German label who certainly know a few things about death. By the time we get thwacked through the galloping charge of ‘The Disaster’ and finish with the chilled acoustic instrumental caress of ‘…and into the Beautiful Death’ you’ll already be hungering to feast on this again.

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

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https://fda-records.bandcamp.com/album/everything-belongs-to-death