Vile Rites : "Senescence

What I like about this band is they can blend a very dark atmospheric sound, while still having sharp hooky head-banging riffs that keep the album moving. What I am not as jazzed about is the fact that the title track just kind of falls out of the first song, This means that the same momentum that drives the album can fall prey to a uniform death metal sound that runs together thus making the songs sound similar. The title track does end up getting pretty interesting as it finds itself amid a swirl of winding riffs. Sotity.  that is going to be the challenge for this band is does this album works off a sound or has distinct songs with their own identity. This can be a challenge for the genre as a whole, considering most death metal bands paint things with the same color of blood red, but the albums that have risen above the pack, have distinct flavors to each song.

The calm before the storm clean guitar that opens "Shiftless Wanderings" helps to at least set them apart from the first two songs, and then the more nuanced guitar that keeps the static buzz of a guitar flowing under the hammering churn of drums does the rest.. There is a fair amount of chaos at play so when things drop into a more melodic section it's highly effective in giving the song its own thumbprint. A similar can be said for the bass line that opens "Transcent Putrefaction"  it ends in setting the stage for a more deliberate throb. It builds into a dissonant storm that shifts into a more aggressive climax and speeds things up. 

The last song ends with a more conventional death metal gallop, which works here. Something tried and true is the way to go it just is about keeping a balance of thinking both outside the box and doing what the audience expects without pandering to them, labels, or radio. At eleven minutes it is the album's most sprawl which gives them more room to play with, though for the first five minutes, things have been pretty straightforward. I will give this album a 9, they add a lot of great thoughtful touches to make thins darker it works for my tastes, Drops August 16th on Carbonized Records. 

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