While Metal Blade takes a lot of heat for some of their (recent) metalcore heavy releases, I I think a lot of people forget how good Metal Blade’s stable of veteran death metal acts truly is; Cannibal Corpse, Bolt Thrower, God Dethroned, Vader, Vomitory, Fleshcrawl, Hate Eternal, Goatwhore, etc. And now after their debut on Unique Leader, Sweden’s blasphemous Aeon join Metal Blade’s veteran death metal fold.

Eschewing the usual Swedish tones, Aeon, with their second offering (their first to these ears) deliver a far more American take on death metal with a solid nod to the likes of Deicide, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse etc, with a heavy antichristian lyrical lean. Now, Rise to Dominate isn’t going to re-invent death metal, but it is one of the better, more impressive death metal albums I’ve heard this year that isn’t from a ‘bigger’ name band.

With the barest hint of melody and thrash beneath the typical growly, blasty antics of some of the tracks, I’m at times reminded of God Dethroned’s take on death metal (especially “Caressed by the Holy Man”) amid the Flordian assault (standout track “Living Sin”, “Godless”, “Luke 4.5.7” . There’s also hints of atmospherics in the likes of “House of Greed” and closer “None One Escapes Us” (which reminded me a lot of Morbid Angel’s “Hatework”) by way of classic 90’s synths and a couple of slower enjoyable rumblers (“Spreading Their Disease”, “There Will Be No Heaven For Me” and the Morbid Angel lurch of the other standout track “You Pray to Nothng”).

All that, along with a tight Dan Swano mix and master job makes for a pretty complete, competent death metal album that give Metal Blade another solid death metal release under their belt.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments