Last year I had this unique thing happen around this time of year where The New Morbid Angel album came out and then right around the time of hearing it I discovered the Polish band Redemptor.  I felt it was rather unique that releases that time of year within the same genre had such similar yet completely different feels.   This year I have a similar thing happening with Hate Eternal’s Upon Desolate Sands Record and Greek Comatose recording Artists Mass Infection and their 2018 release Shadows Became Flesh.

Right off the bat I could tell that Comatose have a winner on their hands with this December release and being four years since the last awesome record from Mass Infection I was excited to hear the progression. The album kicks off with “Ominous Prevision” which has the right amount of brutality, technicality and dissonance mixed in to one wonderfully performed and package album.  It should also be worth noting that the mighty Giulio Gelati of The Italian Technical Death Metal group Hideous Divinity handles the drum work and his percussion is one of the strongest performances on the album.

 

The guitar work by Nick Lytras and vocalist/guitarist George Stournas is a tight as you would expect and within the realm of groups like Hour of Penance, Hideous Divinity and Hate Eternal.  The only thing that is really missing are incredibly meticulously layered guitar solos.  Other strong tracks on the album include “Demise of the Almighty and the title track “Shadows Became Flesh”.   This album is not necessarily reinventing the wheel here but it is a very strong release and different from the brutal slam style of death metal accustomed to be released through Comatose.   This is one of those albums at the end of the year that could be easy to miss and I would say check this out right away if you are looking for something well played, produced and arranged.  Check it out.

[Visit the band's website]

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