Debiutancka płyta hiszpańskiego zespołu grającego brutalny death metal w amerykańskim stylu (CATTLE DECAPITATION, SKINLESS, DEVOURMENT, DISGORGE, BRODEQUIN).
My Last Chapter [75/100]:
I’ve really had a difficult time getting around to actually reviewing this album. It’s the debut fullength by this Spanish lot, and the first release since their reformation (for some reason they disbanded in 2004, but reformed in 2008). I’d never heard of the act before, but was intrigued by the zombie theme of the artwork, seeing as it’s both well-done and pretty cool-looking. But for some reason I just couldn’t get into it musically, and no matter how many times I listened to the CD it just never grabbed a hold of me. I’m not sure why that is, but I’ve definitely opened my eyes to the fact that Reborn for the extermination does have its set of qualities.
There’s something about the sound that bugs me, whereas the production is clean and clear-sounding there’s still something too crude about it. The guitar and bass sure sound hefty, the drums come through nicely and the vocals are most of the time mixed in quite well, but it’s just too clean to be raw and too raw to be clean, if you know what I mean. But nonetheless I’ve heard so much worse, and in reality the production’s not all that bad, it just has a little something bugging me. But oh well, the music’s still the key to a great release.
And musically Velocidad Absurda definitely deals with death metal of the more brutal kind, but what’s keeping me from labeling it as just pure brutal death metal is the keen sense of melody protruding from the riffing. Taking Seven plagues against god as an example we’re offered both chugging and heavy-as-shit Floridian-flavoured riffing as well as blazing blastbeats laced with a fast and melodic guitar lead. It’s obvious they aren’t content with just pure brutality and insane speeds, and have focused a whole lot on slower moments of true heaviness, where the riffs really get to shine through. The drum department offers a lot of variety as well, and within a mid-tempo moment we’re served a number of different beats or minor change of pace, which keeps it from ever becoming stagnant or repetitive. And the guys know how to whip up the most blazing blasting as well as the slowest and heaviest hammering, and they do it all in a grunting, gurgling and gory style. The gory vibes comes through much thanks to the vocals, which remain a constant low-end gurgled growl.
It feels like they’ve taken bits and bulbs from every style of death metal available and thrown it into their own melting pot. A few moments I can’t help but think of Russia’s slam death scene, just as the classic type of Florida old school shines through in riffing every once in a while. During the fastest parts it becomes so intrusive I get Pustulated vibes, all while fellow countrymen Avulsed keeps popping up as a reference. It’s a mixture of both North America’s and Europe’s brutal death metal stylistics. It’s varied in tempo, it’s heavy, it’s fast, it’s gory, and in fact Reborn for the extermination contains all the characteristics of a really arse-kicking album. But for some reason I just don’t seem to really get into it, and I can’t for the life of me understand why, ‘cause it’s a killer release.