Rounding out Dark Descent’s excellent trio of early 2014 releases (inc. Corpsessed and Lvcifyre) in the sophomore album from Finland’s long running death metalers, Lie In Ruins (formerly Dissected back in the 90s). And while not as crushing or cavernous as their label mates above, Lie In Ruins still deliver a powerful if more traditional, structured take on European death metal.

While not plying the more murky, discordant throes of some of their country mates and label mates, similarities can be hard between Lie In Ruins and label/country mates Maveth and Vorum in the more controlled, Swedish inspired tones, if still splattered with some slight Finnish murk and rumble. The guitar tone is thick and dank,but has a slight Stockholm buzz and certainly clearer and crisper than Corpsessed. The riffs are more tangible and refined, not a sheer wall of oppressive noise, but still plenty heavy and menacing, so the songs have a little more room to breathe and expand rather than be claustrophobic. The vocals are not cavernous, echo-y growls but a fairly raspy mid range growl and howl which complements the overall sound.

The result is a more standard, top notch Dark Descent release. Now don’t get me wrong, ‘standard’ in no way mean  normal or average here. It’s standard in scope only compared to Dark Descent’s previous  two monsters. Toward Divine Death is still a high quality death metal record as you’d expect from DDR. Rather than drenched in crumbling dread, density or discordance, the 9 songs on Toward Divine Death have much more control and pacing, with actual riffs (not a knock on Corpsessed or Lvcifyre by any means), riffs you can recall and remember.

Melding a moodier, doomier pace and plenty of mean Stockholm blasts, the likes of “Blood of the Dead”, “The Jaws of the Wolf”, ” Sacrum Vitae” and personal favorite “Venomous  Tongues” and particularly nine minute “Beneath the Surface” and vast 10 minute closer “Of Darkness and Blackened Fire” (that is how you close an album out) might have a little in common also with Desolate Shrine and Indesinence, just not as massive in the production department, but there is a definite similarity, if slight. The crawling doomier moments are well placed and effective, and due to the cleaner guitars, the blasts don’t come across as just this wall of noise  (i.e “I am the Dark”) .

Toward Divine Death isn’t quite up there with Abyssal Threshholds or Svneater but it is yet another stellar Dark Descent Release continues the label’s insane run and the legacy of quality Finnish death metal.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments