Originally released last year on Oregon’s Headsplit Records, the debut from Spanish trio Apparation has been reissued by Germany stalwart label, FDA Records less than a year later, a testament to how FDA Records views Apparition.

So the old-school cover should give it away, but Apparition (featuring ex and current members of Ataraxy, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid, and Inexorable End) plays classic, old-school death metal in the vein of early Death, Pestilence, Possessed, Master, Obituary, and such. And they do it very well indeed.

It’s simple, effective, and enjoyable. Nothing more nothing less. Vocalist/bassist Eduardo has a throaty shout that imbues early Chuck Schuldiner, Martin Van Drunen and John Tardy. The riffs are classic thrash old school riffs when death metal was in its formative years crawling out of thrash and punk, but with that early sense of gravelly and earthy, nasty sheen and energy.

The production though makes things a little more modern and breathes a little modern life into dusty, primal tracks like “The Black Witch”, “Demonic Torment”, “Mummified Santity”, slow-burning “Apparition” or Slayer -ish “Soldier of Death” (complete with Araya-esqe wail). And as you can see from the song titles and themes are pure old school as well. That said, nothing blows me away or cries classic amid all the old-school furor.

If you are into modern retro death bands like Morfin, Skeletal Remains, Undead, Evoked (basically a lot of FDA Records releases over the last few years) Gruesome, and such, definitely check this out.

[Visit the band's website]

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