No arguments that Finland’s Purtenance put out one of the finest death metal albums in the 90’s, Member of Immortal Damnation.  To argue would be stupid.  A few years ago the band put the pieces back together and …to Spread the Flame of the Ancients is their third release, & second full length since the reformation.  I really enjoyed Awaken the Slumber, but felt some of the songs ended too abruptly and this album improves upon that aspect but also furthers their song writing.

The first interesting thing I noticed about the album is the great album cover artwork.  At first I actually thought it was a cover for some Hooded Menace album.  The booklet is layed out nicely with lyrics too.  The song “Preventio” features some very nifty guitar soloing and the production of the guitars retains the bands trademark sound, but taking into further, heavier and denser territory.  I love how the song begins with a blast beat, and then hits that groove and the guitar tone is like a razor wire lopping your head clean off your pathetic shoulders.  Killer old school guitar melodies at the 1 minute mark that literally took me back, like over 2 decades, before erupting into the furious blast, then back to the killer old school groove.

“Waiting to Be Free”, features some stunning doom/death metal moments not too far removed from Asphyx and even Hooded Menace.  Doomy, depressing and most of all heavy as a mother effer.  Vocals are brutally deep, understandable and pained groans to varying degrees on this track.  Close to the 2 minute mark we are greeted with a slower funeral dirge moment that then picks up into a galloping rhythm.  This part is the perfect part to hold up your horns and realize how amazing this part is, in its old school brutality.  “Kaaos on Kanssamme” (Chaos Is with Us) is the perfect album ender.  Fast, slow and heavy.  The 1 minute mark has a killer part and the guitar part for some reason reminds me of Sarcofago’s tune “Christ’s Death”.  The 2.40 part has more of the killer doom death beat and this part slays.  This beat eventually trails off and the album ends.  11 songs in 46 minutes.

Purtenance’s …to Spread the Flame of the Ancients is one of the heaviest albums for 2015 and the song writing is stronger than ever.  This is true and brutal death metal.  No tomfoolery, just plain ass kicking death metal from start to finish.  Killer!!!

 

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