I’ve not really been a huge fan of the current Incantation worship movement in US death metal. Partially because I was never an Incantation fan in the first place and secondly the current Swedish death metal worship movement is much more entertaining to me. However, the debut full length from Houston’s Blaspherian has got my attention.
I remember getting last year’s Allegiance to the Will of Damnation EP but not being overly impressed, but something has clicked on Infernal Warriors that is making for a very enjoyable, pure, death metal record.
The band still has its roots in a churning, atonal wall of noise a la Incantation, but with a slight death/doom influence that brings to mind the likes of classic Cyanide, Funerus, Coffins and Hooded Menace, the overarching result is a much more memorable, dynamic and evil sounding album. Part of the allure is the production of Chris Ryan at Dead City Sound in Houston; with a relative lack of death metal client to his name (Insect Warfare not withstanding), the sound on Infernal Warriors is a massive primal, cavernous organic sound (including the vocals of Lord Apollyon) with a speaker crushing bottom end. It’s retro sounding without being forced or over done and I love it.
The 37 minutes of music is a perfect complement to the production. Not as nasty chaotic or murky as some of death metal current darlings (Ulcerate, Mitochondrion etc), but a decidedly riff based, muddy lurch and lope. It’s hardly ground breaking but the simple, oppressive yet memorable nature of the music has a crushing, darkly hypnotic allure that’s the anti tech death. When the band drops into a low end rumble or groove its pretty earth moving, but also honest and tangibly menacing. The likes of “The Disgrace of God”, “Sword to Death and Evil”, massive “Lies of the Cross” and crawling closer “Invoking Abomination” perfectly balance muddy blasts and subterranean heft with ease and Christ hating conviction. This is the perfect filthy, simple but crushing album for when you need a break from the Obscura‘s, Anomalous‘s and Monumental Torments.
So maybe its time I revisited Incantation, huh?
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My first thought after reading that first paragraph was “He needs to revisit Incantation.”
on May 10th, 2011 at 19:25where should i start?
on May 11th, 2011 at 11:25I cannot claim to be a huge Incantation fan myself, but I am somewhat partial to 1998’s “Diabolical Conquest”.
on May 12th, 2011 at 23:13“Onward to Golgotha” is unquestionably Incantation’s masterpiece and one of the finest Death Metal albums ever recorded.
on May 13th, 2011 at 02:39