Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Dead - Nocturnal Funeral EP (2008)


Here are six new tracks from the Australian death metal band. They temper their style with a little technicality manifesting in some grooving, noodling rhythms and a savage grindcore afterbirth.

"One Man Genocide" has a unique, groovy rhythm beneath the grunts and growls. "Agents of the Apocalypse" has a very interesting tonal riff in its verse. "At One With Evil" has an almost sludge doom vibe to it. "Devilstorm" is one of the faster tracks, with some grind sections akin to Napalm Death, alternating with another groove similar to the first track. "March of the War Demons" has some creepy riffs in among its hybrid of sludge and death. The EP closes with the title track, a crawl of a piece with more sludge influence. I enjoyed the trippy ending.

These guys have a somewhat distinct sound. The production is very raw, lending itself well to the grimy sludge and the more aggressive bits. Despite this, none of the tracks really caught my attention. I do like the way they construct some of their riffs, it's an interesting style and surrounded by some more interesting music they could be almost like a heavier Australian Gojira (or beyond).

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.myspace.com/lordofthelivingdead

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