Death is June -Deicide's "Scars of the Crucifix'

 

The last album with the original line-up finds them locked in and getting serious. This is the band's first release with Earache, so maybe they felt like they had something to prove. It is certainly the best vocal performance from Glen since "Once Upon the Cross." If you have been reading these Deicide reviews this month and wonder why I am putting his vocals under a microscope when vocals are almsot just an obligatory texture in the genre, then that is exactly why. The fact that he was sounding demonic on the early album gave them something that made them stand out, and death metal vocals should always sound inhuman. 

"Mad at God" finds them back on the blast, you way in the formula of songwriting. Once the verse kicks in, they have their groove established, then hammer you in the chorus. While the guitar tones did not change a great deal from the previous album, the bigger vocal sound is a game-changer. Lyrically, this album might be more limited as there was already a song " Mad at God " and now on the same album, a "Fuck Your God." "When Heaven Burns" is more of a blasting burst of a song. There is also a slight recycling of the first album here. "Enchanted Nightmare" is the first song that feels like filler.

"From Darkness Come" is a more rapid-fire aggression.  A faster version of this is "Go Now, Your Lord is Dead," and they continue to close out the album in a high-paced fashion. The vocal production on this album really helps elevate the songs so I am going to give this one a 9.

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Death is June- Ninth Realm : "Damnation's Veil"

The hardcore energy at the core of this band's sound took me by surprise. The album cover makes you think this is going to be more along the lines of Dissection's earlier work.  It finds its center in the aggressive vocal approach that punches at you rather than being a more atmospheric low-end growl. This also gives the band a great sense of purpose and keeps them from being a chaotic blur of blast beats and guitar solos. It is most effective on the opening track, as the second song feels like it is an extension of that energy. Then it begins to gain a more Entombed-like rumble. This makes sense considering the rough-around-the-edges approach to death metal that the band would take. 

Lyrically, this album is supposed to explore some type of fantasy world they came up with, but given the in-your-face approach to songwriting these guys take, I am not feeling anything otherworldly about this, as there is little atmosphere to be found. The guitar solos are the most melodic thing going. I could see them going in a more Bolt Thrower direction, which might be what they are going for on "Rituals of Thar' amarth," but it barely comes through the collision of drums and guitar throttling one another.  'Wyrd of Strideborne" works more on over-thrashing speed than hooky riffs, even though a few are thrown in. 

When they are more deliberate, it works best for them as this allows the band to fully collect their thought as heard on "Beyond the Void," though things accelerate when the vocals come in. "Vengeance Unto Rot" is effective at what it does; however the album begins to only work off one dynamic."All Hail Treachery' doesn't really do a great deal to break that up. This begins to border on metalcore. Perhaps marketing is where the line is drawn. The last song could almost be one of Converge's more metallic offerings. I will give this album an 8.5, as I like its energy andd intent, it's just not as dynamic as what I would listen to on a more regular basis, but it might fit your needs.It drops August 28th on Transcending Obscurity.

Death is June -Deicide's " In Torment in Hell"

This one was recorded in four days, and the band was knocking it out to fulfill obligations to Roadrunner Records, who they felt were more invested in bands like Slipknot. The production is just as rough s you might expect from a four-day recording session, though in that way it does bring back some of the charm of the first album. The opening track is not poorly written the drum sound is just a little weak, and the guitar has too much mid-range in it; it was like they were going against the grain of where music was heading with more of a down-tuned feel.

"Christ Don't Care" picks up where the first song left off almsot to a fault. The vocal approach of Benthon on the first few songs is rather uniform; it's just the lower growl with fewer overdubs than we have heard from them. This song does find its groove midway. "Vengeance Will Be Mine," like most of these songs, is a total speed fest. The vocals are better on this one. There is still an unshakeable Slayer influence on some of these riffs. The drum sound effects "Imminent Doom" more than the previous songs, perhaps it's how the cymbals land. But there are some cool riffs here and there, and the song doesn't totally suck, but in the album's first act, it's the most like filler so far. 

"Child of God" opens the song at peak blasting, returning to the formula they used on the previous album, before they begin recycling riffs from the first album. It would work well if there were not the feeling that you had heard them do this before. The thrashing motion of "Let it Be Done' actually works pretty well for them. There is a mroe deliberate pace to 'Worry in the House of Thieves"; this breaks them from the formula that has been in place for a couple of albums now. The last song also breaks the formula, though it chugs along a more Slayer-like path. I will give this a 9, it's better than you expect from what was supposed to be a throw away album. 

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Death is June - THÆTAS : 'The Irredeemable Age"

This band from New York plays a dark, dense, and sonically intense version of technical death metal that is not huge on the shredding solos but approaches things in a more jarring, angular fashion. "Summers of Hate' finds the vocals going lower into a more gurgled tone and the rest of the band speeding up. This is not as unique a sound as the opening track, which carried more purpose in the slower chugs. By the time I get to "For the Hope Devoid' things have started to blur together, and the songs begin to all sound the same, chaos with nothing to hook you in and keep your attention. There is a more melodic passage in this song, but this is something that needs to be expanded.

The title track does slow down and gain more focus with eeries sounds conjured up from the bubbling sonic darkness, proving they are capable of this, and can do so without sacrificing the blast beasts; there jsut needs to be more dynamic balance. Things return to the blur of blast-driven riffs on "Stretched Virtex' which carries over into "Daytime Lantern," not allowing it to gain its footing until midway in. To their credit, these are not long spraling songs, but kept around the four-minute mark. They bring their vision to life in one of the album's most effective manners on 'Pillars of Faith." The last song also works fairly well, though focus is not an area they are most consistent in when it comes to songwriting, as they see chaos writhing in the riffs as being a crucial aspect of their song, which sometimes works better than others. I like that it is dark and well produced, will give this an 8. 

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Death is June - Deicide's "Insineratehymn"

 The band's 2000 album was never on my radar, so this is the first time I have listened to it. In 2000, I was more into hardcore, so it makes sense why I never gave it a shot, as I am sure it would have seemed silly to me at the time. The opening track sounds more like Cannibal Corpse than Deicide to me, but it's a pretty decent take on what death metal was going to sound like in the year 2000. "Forever Hate You' is more locked in likea Slayer song and works even better. It's not a middle finger to God, but his ex-wife.  The guitar tone is mean as fuck, so they were doing something right in the studio.

There is more groove in the riff that opens "Standing in the Flames " than expected, though they traded off in speed-laced passages. The vocals have pretty much jsut become straightforward low growls at this point with a few higher overdubs littered throughout the album, one appearing on this song. They are more deliberate on "Remnant of a Hopeless Path". The lyrical content I can appreciate despite the tedious nature of its singular focus. Punchy vocal accents help make this one a more memorable. "The Gift That Keeps Giving" is more of a blaster until the grinding riff takes over. It might be the slowest riff I've heard from these guys. The chorus hits pretty hard for what they are doing.

"Halls of Warship" follows a similar formula that they have been playing off of during this era, where they rip into the ong and slow into a midtempo riff for the vocals. There is a cool, more galloped riff that comes in around where I am guessing the chorus is. "Suffer Again" also shows an increased awareness when it comes to writing catchier riffs. "Worst Enemy" is not on the same level, but it does show more attention to detail and some thrash influence. "Apocalypti Fear' has an effective chorus, but the bulk of the song is more focused on speed. They close the album on a more deliberate note with"Rfusal of Penance."  You can hear a little more Slayer influence on this one. I will give this one a 9.5; they recommitted to songwriting and it pays off. I might not think it's their best album, but it's in the top 5, perhaps.

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Death is June- Horrifier : "Revelations of Gore"

 

Norway is not known for death metal, but these guys are trying to change that at least within the underground circles of the genre. Their grim take on the genre is not going to have them on tour with Amon Amarth anytime soon, but they are great at the dark sounds woven on the opening track. Bordering on death doom, with a faint hint of their homeland's black metal past haunting the blasting intensity. The emphasis is placed on speed in the first minute of "Human Butchery," then things grow more ghastly.

There is a rawness to the production on this album that adds to the band's charm as it harkens back to the earliest days of the genre. This can be heard in the darker throb of "The Ingestion."  There is also a hint of punk on the verses of "Rejoice, Oh Children of the Flesh" that goes into creepier dramatic passages as the song progresses. "Body Hoarder" is a more straightforward form of savagery, but it is at least deliberate more often than not. "Morbid Lust" eventually races its way to a darker place, but largely depends on speed.

The riffs to "the Final Oblation" carry a similar solemn shadow as Celtic Frost once did. Though not in the same way that Obituary draws influence from them. The last song is pretty much color by number early death metal, with an 80s thrash slant while still flirting with death doom. Overall, I really enjoyed this album. I will give it a 9; it comes out August 7th on Personal Records.

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Death is June -Deicide's "Serpents of the Light"

This album is where I began to lose interest in the band, as I thought they had grown too similar to the death metal norm. Going back to listen to this, I can hear where I got that impression, but the songwriting continued to improve, rather than just steamrolling you. Benton's vocals are more articulated, though the primary focus is on the lower growl. However, this does not mean they are not prone to bouts of blast beats before kinding thrashy grooves. There are bursts of the higher demonic  vocals jut not a flowing layer of them over top the lower growl;

"Blame it On God" is more of a hyper-aggressive speed fest, though his vocals are more deliberately placed, which helps the song's overall framework. By 1997, Scott Burns had obviously dialed in the death metal sound that is reflected in the overall sonic presentation of the album. The formula seems to kick into the song as fast as you can, then create more space on the verse, though "This is Hell We're In" . The vocals are almost sung on the chorus, perhaps taking notes from what Morbid Angel had found greater success with at this point in time. 

"I Am No One" is driven by a riff that kicks absolute ass. This dominates the previous songs so far. 'Slave to the Cross" is more like filler as it sounds like post-Vincent Morbid Angel. "Creatures of Habit" digs in harder, but is more straightforward. "Believe the Lie" feels more like who they are. "The Truth Above" starts off with a blast before it reins in the verse that reminds me of the title track from the first album. "Father Baker"  is more of a blunt for trauma, that buzzes with a thrash energy . I will give this album an 8.5, it would e interesting to see how it stacks up against other death metal from this time periods, it's a good album just not their best .

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