The Munsens : "Degradation in the Hyperreal"

This band is in the more deliberate school of Entombed-inspired death metal. The vocals keep a very steady low growl, which accents the riff with purpose at least on the first song. Their drummer is the key as he maintains a very restrained pulse. They throw in clever punches rather than sticking to a full-out barrage of double bass to trample you. The riffs provide enough space for things to breathe, though they let themselves run wild when the song builds. There is some stoner/doom influence when they return to a more half-time feel, but that is not the lifeblood of this album. 

The second song is a little more compact in its attack. The drummer remains the star, which, when your a death metal band, being a kick ass drummer is just part of the job requirement, everyone else serves the song in their intended roles with the vocals being more of a growled accent. You can make out the declaration of "Sacred Ivory", but there is no other context for the lyrics, so you are left to assume it's the standard matel mish mash of Dungeons & Dragons nonsense. There is more of a thumping lumber to "Drauga". It leans a little more in the sludge direction.  This builds into the more hammering double bass expected from death metal.

There is a darker pulse to "Scalling Ceausecu's Balcony" that builds into a more pounding sludge thump. They linger in the atmosphere for a minute before crunching into the opening chords of "Supreme Death," which, despite its name, finds them reluctant to lunge into the expectations of death metal. The chords or more strummed, and the vocals are the most metallic aspect. Three and a half minutes, the riffs bend in the way of rock n roll with the metal undercurrent more of a throbbing undercurrent despite the roar of the vocals. They jam this out as more of a singular groove. Then, at the five-minute mark, they begin to lock into more of a metal riff they also jam on before exploding into blast beats. While it's intense, what they were doing on the song's front end was more interesting. 

If not for the fact that it's almost five minutes, "Vesper" would feel more like an instrumental interlude. It does contribute a dynamic shift that helps the range of the album. They are in a more death n roll mode for "The Knife" that finds some of the Entombed influence returning. It is one of the more straightforward songs of the album, as there are no twists away from its purpose, and it only allows you room to breathe while its storm builds. The last track is just an outro of sorts. I will give this album an 8.5, as they are skilled at what they do, and the blend of sludge with death metal works well. 

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