All evidence indicates that El Paso’s Cambion are a new creation in the death metal world. With no entry on Metal Archives and a minimalist Facebook account, it’s really quite hard to give much of a background. Probably the most revealing source I could find on them and their style was the Cambion Bandcamp page, which cites Slayer as an influence as well as what they brilliantly term “early millennium evil” – the likes of Angelcorpse, Hate Eternal and that proliferation of fantastic Brazilian bands, most of whom seemingly vanished from the face of the planet. Based on a few listens to this EP however, and the best theory I now have is that those colossuses of brutality – Rebaelliun, Nephasth etc – were actually abducted and harvested by these time fracturing Texans.
As a first taste of what this band has to offer, ‘Bend the Knee (to Molech)’ is incredible. Burning tech riffs and insanely quick, intricate drum patterns are the order of the day. (Rumour has it they use a drum machine, though you’d hardly tell.) Instead of that old concept of jaws dropping, Cambion simply blows such cranial features clean off. As the main riffs of the opener hack away, R.O. delivers his feral bark, occasionally deviating into deeper realms. Aside from the band evoking a scene of controlled chaos, the EP’s space themed cover is also reflected in the music thanks to a finely tuned production which allows the instruments to rampage at warp speed. Within this furious context, aspects like the raging solo work are certainly reminiscent of Slayer, Angelcorpse etc (see the start of ‘Harlots of Hell’), whereas the light-speed percussion and hyper-thrash tendencies can be aligned to the likes of Origin and Absu. The bottom line is that the layers of guitar- and drum-work that Cambion deliver are top drawer.
With ‘Unfold Chaos Supreme’ it’s even possible to detect traces of Nile as riffs imperiously belt out. But make no mistake, Cambion is mental fucking intensity first and foremost. For the overwhelming majority of the disc it sounds as if every part of the drum-kit is in use simultaneously, and the only conclusion I can draw about guitarist T.R. is that his finger tips must be calloused like walnuts in order to sustain so much punishment. The reference to Slayer in their heyday with ‘Perfected Aggressor’ is certainly appropriate in this sense. And again, we are confronted with solos based on the Hanneman/King template of inexorable fret destruction. ‘Perfected…’ ends with (what I suspect is) a coolly placed film sample; a neat counterpart to the equally spontaneous female groans which appear earlier during ‘Harlots of Hell’. In ‘Kometen von Czaxukluth’ C.J.H.’s bulldozing bass reveals itself for the first time, and then it’s like being consumed by spit from a flamethrower as this final attack levels all in its path.
On ‘Unfold Chaos Supreme’ it’s as if Cambion have crammed a whole album’s worth of material and creativity into sixteen minutes. The quality of the songwriting and musicianship, it must be asserted again, is entirely undiminished by the band’s fixation with insanity as the music charges, dives and ascends in equal measure. In fact the formula for their creation may look something like this: Exact representation of fury + Consummate musical skill = Cambion. Personally it’s one of the most impressive EPs that I’ve ever encountered – especially considering its independent status. Not only does this release therefore have me eagerly awaiting a debut album, it also rekindles a flame of musical intensity and ingenuity that I thought had passed with the early ’00s.
(9.5/10 Jamie)
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