Incantation- Vanquish in Vengeance

    Incantation are back and it's a whole lot more of the same old shit. Same old never tiring riffs, same old domination of the American Death Metal front, same old dedication to excellence. I'm starting to wonder if there's a bottom to this well of inspiration they draw from, I'm hoping not, but if there is.....they don't seem to be nearing it.

   One of my favorite aspects of this band has always been their versatility. They can play both straightforward hard hitting and fast paced death metal and death/doom, both at very high levels. And all of that variety is found once again on this record. From the opening track Invoking Infinity (which displays tendencies of the former) to the album closer Legion of Dis (which masters the latter) this record hits hard and goes in all the engagingly crushing and different directions I've come to expect from this Penn state foursome over the years. These fellas have always nailed the whole "evil as hell" death metal vibe with ease, all the while avoiding any semblance of 'try hard' status or the dreaded "cheesy" tag. It's a fine line to walk when writing tunes to stay out of those areas while still writing disturbing music, but Incantation are master craftsmen when it comes to this, and all of this is once again present on now their ninth release.

   Now, I had a few small issues with this record from a production standpoint. The guitars, at times, can sound a little feeble compared to some of their previous releases. Nothing to do with the songwriting, which is excellent on this record, more so they just sound a bit hollow and wavering, taking away a small percentage of the unrelenting and punishing feel that the band worked so hard to craft for this release. Same thing with the vocals at points, all though to a lesser extent.

   Besides my nitpicking, this is a solid record from an infinitely solid and virtually unparalleled band that have been doing their thing for 20 plus years, all without showing any signs of slowing down. Dunno how these old bastards do it without having ever tread into the questionable waters of some of their genre peers, but they have, and I thank them for ever second of their catalogue .


7.5/10 ruptured eardrums

 

Manic Scum- Better Left Undead -E.P.

     Tennessee: The new heartland of grind.....well, maybe not, but Manic Scum have offered up something that will certainly get old school grindcore and even death metal fans to sit up and take note. These guys play with a true old school death grind mentality, bringing the grit and fire of classic acts such as Repulsion, but never forgetting the almighty groove, a la Carcass. This five piece outfit is doing some things that a lot of other bands that share the same genre description have forgotten how to do, and they're doing them well. Aggression is in no short supply on this seven song EP, but not at the expense of highly catchy riffing. A great blend of tempos are addressed as well, despite none of the tracks breaking the three minute mark. As far as production values go, this record delivers, bringing a raw and DIY feel without losing anything in the mix, a thing not always worked toward when talking about bands of this style.

      I'm interested in seeing these guys grow. While they aren't the most forward thinking grind band to ever grace this planet, they have a strong base to build on and their tribute to the genre greats of yore shines through in every note they play. Cheers fellas, and thanks for the crushingly fun tunes.


7/10 ruptured eardrums

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agtKgJJdRRw