Shrieking Demons : "The Festering Dwellers"

It will be hard for this Italian death metal band to follow Vacuous who was breaking fresh ground on their new album, while this band's debut feels more like Pestilence covering "Scream Bloody Gore". They have captured all the staples of the genre and put some thought into the songwriting as riffs slow down and crunch on the second song, and so far they have not blasted out right in your face. But their influences are easily traced as they have honed the sounds they love. They are also dark enough to hold my interest and the guitar playing is highly melodic with their solos leaning into melody  rather than shredding 

 " Sorrrowful Dismal Bliss" leans more into the Obituary lumber mixed with "Leporsy" era Death, so death metal hipsters will love it since that is the sacred era of the genre they are drawing from.  "Nefarious Scorned Deities I am Devoted To" finds them picking up the pace and following the thrashing path of early death metal.  "Perrenial Dirge" follows a similar path though the vocals are not as catchy in their howling. You can hear some Slayer influence also creeping here. "Longing For Total Eclipse" took a second listen before I paid attention to it. It's marginally more deliberate than the previous song. The guitar melodies keep them from getting to the Obituary. 

"Compromised Brain' races along the standard death metal hyper aggression with more John Tardy-like vocal exclamations. The riffs to "Awakening From Secular Slumber" are more memorable. The last song opens up with a more Bolt Thrower gallop, before slowing down into something closer to death doom. I will give this album an 8, as it's not the most original thing I have heard this week, and plays it safe sticking to the classics but some people are into that sort of thing and they do it well.It drops on Transcending Obscurity. 

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pst44