Death is June - Valgrind : 'Condemnation"

The worship or Morbid Angel and Incantation should be expected as it is deserving. This is the only retro worshipping band I am going to review this month, They do have more of a speeding technical element to them than either of the two previously mentioned bands and incorporate some darker melodic atmosphere midway into the song. While subtle it preps for the guitar solo and shows me they care about songs. This is the Italian band's 4th album so they should know what they are doing. By the second song they have begun to rever to a more straight forward and almost Obituary like take on the genre, though the fleet fingered guitar sets it apart. If you are into guitar solos they have plenty.

There fixation with speed becomes a little tiresome by the third song. What I would give for some groove to make these riffs more memorable . When they become trapped in this mode their sound gives into all my complaints about death metal being one dimensional. You can hear how death metal is influenced by thrash on this song. "Eater of Hearts" blasted by on the first play through eithout me taking note. This is where they go into a more aggressive Morbid Angel mode. Interesting enough to not fall into tedium , but not breaking any new ground either. Then things become even more Morbid with the riff to " the Day". It does get a little lost when the hurtle down this hell highway. The riffs to "Furies" is razor sharp and commanding, in a more Vader like manner, but it took a couple listens to register with me.

They are plenty angry. They are pretty convinving on "Divination" but not it sounds like they are drawing more from "Fromulas Fatal to the Flesh". The vocals are punchy and the riffs slap you about more like the post- David Vincent years. "Godess of the Salt Sea" even feels like they are trying to be about the smae kind of Lovecraftian mish mash. I will give this album a 7.5, they pull it off in how they bang it out on their instruments , but little life is breathed into death metal. For some this might be a good thing. Death can also equate stagnation.This album comes out July 27th on Momento Mori.