Deeds of Flesh (United States of America (Los Osos, California) )

 Deeds of Flesh - Of What's to Come [2008] (Brutal Death Metal)
Lable : Unique Leader Records

Californian technical death metal has a pretty staple sound: it's fast, brutal, and a serious amount of wank. This sort of death metal is starting to get really tiring, but it still has its moments. Of What's To Come is a prime example of this. Deeds Of Flesh employ the same aforementioned style that they're known for and helped popularize, and while Of What's To Come is pretty predictable, it's got some interesting ideas buried under it's sleek metallic skin.

The first thing any listener should notice is the squeaky-clean production. Some death metal fans aren't big on this mechanical, ultra-calculated and refined sound. For me it completely depends on the subject material and what the band was going for. If there's a degree of atmosphere in the music where such production techniques would fit, then I'm all for it. The biggest problem with it is that it lacks any and all aggression, and that is a problem on On Of What's To Come. It's really hit or miss with different tracks. This sound works quite well on tracks like “Virvum,” “Century Of The Vital,” “Harvest Temples,” and “Eradication Pods” where you can feel the sky lighting up with the multicolored flames and weaponry of alien warships. However on some tracks this doesn't work at all and I feel like I'm actually listening to a bunch of computerized guitar noises. This is most noticeable on “Dawn Of The Next” where the guitar manages to get downright annoying at times. The production and the concept album-style lyrics about space and humanity's place within a greater, much more destructive universe work well together (although one could argue that it has become quite cliché). Another thing to note is that the last song on the album, “Infecting Them With Falsehood” doesn't follow the concept at all and really doesn't serve as a good closing track.

The bass also does a great job of accompanying the guitar and vocals. It's audible on nearly every track (unlike in previous Deeds Of Flesh releases), and it's clearly not just trying to be a third guitar like it is in most metal bands. The high pitched basslines take away from the foundation that this album is seriously lacking, but really add to the “high-tech/post-apocalyptic space war” vibe that Of What's To Come has going for it. The drumming is also pretty run-of-the-mill with the generic death metal fills, blast beats, and double bass littered throughout. There's plenty of neo-classical solos to admire here, and although sometimes they delve into Necrophagist wankery, they fit some tracks quite well. The vocals are also, as with the drumming, completely average. Everything you'll hear has been done before, even by Deeds Of Flesh. I still can't stress enough that there's literally nothing unique here.

All in all this album is pretty standard. A bit above average thanks to the unique basslines and few tracks where the production works, but the weak rhythmic foundation on Of What's To Come really detracts from the overall sound. Those strengths and weaknesses place it firmly in the typical niche of Californian technical death metal and I don't think Deeds Of Flesh is going to deviate any time soon.

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Dawn of Azazel (New Zealand (Auckland) )

Dawn of Azazel - Relentless [2009] (Death Metal)
Lable : Unique Leader Records

I have been waiting for this for quite awhile. Since the band is no longer on Ibex Moon Records and it was quite a while before they made a new record label announcement, I had to keep an eye on their Myspace for news about the impending release. Now that I have the album, I have just one thing to say: The title of the album is apt.

Relentless has always been one of the best terms to describe this New Zealand trio. The band is not as ferocious this time around, substituting some of their raw power for a more refined, but nevertheless, still earth-shaking approach. The underrated blackened death/thrash band brings the fury on this eleven track powerhouse of an album. The album should contend for inclusion on any year-end lists of the best metal albums, of course it probably will not due to the under-the-radar nature of the band.

The riffs are still razor-sharp and fast as hell. The drumming has gotten more technical and steady with the inclusion of Jeremy Suckling behind the kit (drums have been one of the weaker points in the band's history). The band has always used a variety of time signature changes and tempo shifts in their music. As such, a good drummer is essential to the band's sound. This time around, they have a really good one. Of course, Rigel Walshe's manic screams and shrieks are back at the forefront of the band's sound.

A couple of other things have been added to the band's sound this time around. First of all is a clean production. This has had the effect of taking some of that raw hostility out of the sound. The production is perhaps a little too clean. With this kind of metal, it is always preferable to have a dirty production and not smooth out or neutralize any of the band's innate aggression.

Another addition to the sound is the use of some surprisingly impressive guitar solos. Dawn of Azazel has stayed away from guitar solos quite a bit in the past, but some of these solos are almost Slayer-esque. Joe Bonnett has improved his playing significantly.

As for the songs, Dawn of Azazel did appear to make a concerted effort to write full songs. That was occasionally a problem with the band in the past as well, many of their songs did not have a clear direction and were simply exercises in aggressive riffing. The band clearly focused on their songwriting abilities this time around and there is therefore no filler on this album.

Dawn of Azazel smoothed out a few problems with their previous albums on this, their third full length release, and improved their sound noticeably. No, it does not have the same dirty production or raw thunder that the band has developed over the years, but it is nevertheless the first great full album the band has put out. This album should help propel the band into the genre's elite.

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Hate Eternal (United States of America (Tampa Bay, Florida) )

Hate Eternal - Fury & Flames [2008] (Death Metal)
Lable : Metal Blade Records

I'm sure I am in the same boat with a lot of you on this. I found that Hate Eternal's greatest works came while Jared Anderson was a part of the band. Once I was able to get passed the production on Conquering the Throne, I found the album to be enjoyable it had some really good riffs and an atmosphere that was brutal. King of All Kings was more of the same with somewhat better production and that I would say was my favourite thing Erik Rutan lent his production to. I, Monarch was a bit of a step backward but overall I found it to be a decent album now with a move to Metal Blade records and a lineup change or two we are treated for lack of a better term to "Fury and Flames" now where do I begin? I guess I'll start from the top...

The first thing I thought when I saw the title for this album was, "where is the reference to royalty?" I mean with three albums having a reference to the Monarchy in them I figured they'd keep up that theme like Morbid Angel (which Rutan was a part of) does with their album names being in alphabetical order. However, I was wrong.

Now all joking aside, the worst thing Hate Eternal has done is add a second guitar. Don't get me wrong when I found out Shaun Kelly (ex Ripping Corpse) was joining Rutan on this record I was happy because lets face it, if they were in a band before they should have some chemistry right? Well apparently not. It sounds like the amps they used were turned up way too much and they forgot to take the feedback out of the final mix. I guess that's the best way to describe it. It's all nothing but buzz. You'd think being a producer Rutan would have stepped back for a second and thought, "hey maybe we should re-record the guitar tracks because I can't hear where one guitar part ends and another begins" but obviously that wasn't the case.

The second problem I have with this album is the absence of Derek Roddy. It's fine that they found a drummer who put the effort out to learn the songs at home and normally that would be an ideal choice. Every case has an exception however, because when you listen to the record the drumming tends to sound sloppy and drown out the guitar. I just really think this drummer was not meant to do Roddy's blast beat style.

Now I really don't like bringing up musicians who have passed on especially in a negative way but, I think Jared Anderson (R.I.P.) would turn over in his gave if he was subjected to this album. I'm sorry to say something so harsh but really this album is just terrible. I mean I didn't like I, Monarch at first either but I gave it another chance and my opinion changed however, I've tried numerous times to at least tolerate Fury and Flames but, it just won't happen because this album is utterly the worst relaese to date of 2008 next to Cryptopsy's The Unspoken King.

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Nile (United States of America (Greenville, South Carolina) )

Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest [2009] (Brutal/Technical Death Metal)
Lable : Nuclear Blast Records

At first, I was a bit hesitant to pick up this album. I thought after Ithyphallic, which was still a good album, that Nile might run out of ideas that fit into their Egyptian style. However, Those Whom the Gods Detest reassured me that Nile is quite capable of coming up with new ideas. Although Annihilation of the Wicked is still the best Nile album in my mind due to its driving, dark sounds, this album is one of the best.

Karl Sanders and Dallas Toler-Wade make an interesting team. I like the way Karl can make the most exotic and intricate patterns and scales work for death metal and when mixed with Dallas's intense, edgy vocal and guitar playing, they make a sound that is so unique and memorable that it defines Nile. However, as you will notice after listening to this band, George Kollias (the drummer) is really the driving force behind the heavy sound of Nile. He double kicks faster and more precisely than any death metal drummer and manages to create sick beats to even the most complex Nile riffs.

WIth these three parts of Nile, it would be a shame to see them fall apart. However, Those Whom the Gods Detest put those thoughts to rest. After utilizing primarily Egyptian themes for their songs, this album starts out with Kaffir, which starts has Islamic themes to it. Although the difference may be subtle, it is just enough to show that Nile is more diverse and creative than ever before.

This album hits hard, and Utterances of the Crawling Dead is a true testament to this. Kollias goes absolutely crazy with the double kick and does it without sounding out of control. The riffs are also, while typical Nile riffs, original and not at all boring. Nile is back and with Those Whom the Gods Detest prove that they are as brutal as ever.

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Emeth (Belgium (Zelem-Halen, Limburg) )

Emeth - Telesis [2008] (Brutal Death Metal)
Lable : Brutal Bands

I was in my local cd store the other day, and found this cd. I thought that it was going to be another (in my opinion) monotonous and obnoxious brutal death record as they have done in the past, but I was happily surprised to hear amazing production, better song structure, and the lack of the tin can snare drum that plagued their first cd.

First off, the drumming. It's clear, loud, and thumps away the entire cd. It can get a tad old after listening to the cd a number of times, but is good nonetheless. The drummer's technicality and speed reminds me a bit of The Faceless drummer. He’s smooth at transitions and is seemingly tireless. Just listen to the drumming, he is usually thumping away. Of course, the cd is filled with blast beats. Oh, and, there is no tin can snare drum plaguing the songs as it did in their past releases and that plagues most brutal death metal bands.

Probably my favorite part about this cd is that the bass is audible. When played loud and on good speakers or headphones, you can clearly here the basslines. It plays along with the guitar part, but that is what most bass players do nowadays anyways, but it fits in very well. It adds a bit more heaviness to the breakdowns. It could have been turned up A LOT louder, but at least it is more audible than not.

Speaking of the breakdowns, they are actually made interesting and don't attempt at the pseudo-brutality, single note breakdowns ala Suicide Silence, Job For a Cowboy, and countless other bands. For example, at the end of "Silence Goes Unheard" there is the most unexpected thing on this cd: a jazz breakdown. Normally I am not a fan of jazz breakdowns (I see them as mostly a novelty thing), but they only use it once on the entire cd. It makes it unique and stand out. When I first heard it, I had a "What the fuck?" moment, but upon further listening, and it fits very nicely.

The guitars grind away the entire cd. The solos are well executed, and about 90% of the riffs sound original. Sometimes you will get a bit of deja vu, but all of the songs are clearly able to be told apart from the other, another nice surprise.

The vocals are a well executed growl. Most brutal death metal bands I listen to I have to read the lyric sheet when I am first listening to their cd. With this band, I memorized the lyrics for my favorite songs on the 3rd and 4th listens.

Overall, this cd is a very pleasant listen. It’s brutal as fuck, but very catchy and different without trying too hard. A good time to listen to it is when you’re stuck in traffic. I have to say, this is one of my favorite cd’s that I’ve ever bought.

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