Death metal has its share of geographic sounds; the Stockholm sound, the Gothenburg sound, the Florida sound, the Birmingham sound, the Canadian sound etc. Well one of the more overlooked sounds is the Denmark sound.

Generally highlighted by chunk and heft with a dash of thrash rather than speed (and more often than not produced or mastered by Tue Madsen or in this case Jacob Hansen) or complexity, the Danish death metal sound is encapsulated by the likes of Battalion, Hatesphere, Mercenary, Illdisposed, Koldborn, Konkhra, Urkraft and veterans Thorium who have just released their third album on their homeland label, and while it delivers the Denmark sound perfectly, at also has the general rather forgetful, middle tier competence as many of their country mates.

As you’d expect, Feral Creation is crisply produced and is full of tight, up tempo songs that often come across as the heavier end of thrash with impressive death metal roars, occasional blast beats and many moments of chunky, tightly wound percussion and riffs, but as a whole, none of it really sticks or commands your attention after the disc stops spinning. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable while it is spinning; it is.

Sturdy but disposable moments like standout “Diabolical Consumption”, “Cast From Hell” and “The Lurker” make the album a safe purchase but don’t expect Feral Creation to make to many waves or end up on any 2008 year end lists. However, it’s certainly an album you can listen to from start to finish, with a solid nod of appreciation at its conclusion, though you won’t have a burning desire to revisit any of the songs.

[Visit the band's website]

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