Negative-Existence - DEAD, The "Ritual Executions" CD

DEAD, The "Ritual Executions" CD
[DC001]

~~$12.00~~ $8.40

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Artist: THE DEAD

Title: Ritual Executions

Format: CD

Country: Australia

Genre: Death Metal

Record Label: DC Records

The second full length album of The Dead is a brilliant mix of twisted, brain-warping death metal and miasmic sludgy doom like no other. Perfectly arranged to maintain a sublime, engrossing balance, the combination of sharp, visceral hooks and massive doom trudges with remarkably groovy parts render Ritual Executions one of the most unique and fascinating albums to be released in this era. The remixing and remastering done by Aphotic Mote (Portal) specially for this DC Records version makes the originally dense and suffocating Ritual Executions much more breathable but retains the rawness and underground vibe that bring The Dead to life. The modified artwork sketched by vocalist Mike Yee suitably captures the essence and horrific otherworldly feel of The Dead's music - only a band member could achieve that.'

Tracklisting:

1. Burn Your Dead 08:18
2. Cannibal Abottoir 04:26
3. Centurion 06:05
4. Born in a Grave 07:40
5. Ritual Executions 04:15
6. Blood Angel 05:55
7. Death Metal Suicide 09:53
Total playing time 46:32

Sounds:

Review:

[metalreview]

Welcome back to Cappy's Guttural Grotto of Cavemanic Barbarity...of Death...Metal: A harsh landscape where huge, percolating tar pits swallow triggered drums and corrupt glossy sheens with abcesses spurting syrupy filth; a primal terrain where Raw is Law, and brutality is born from bogs belching forth stone-faced golems pounding their way to primitive survival; a world that, oddly enough, seems to be getting more and more populated over the course of the last two years or so. Hell, at this point I'd even venture that our one-time relatively small infantry of brutes has swollen to the point where we might actually be able to take the stronghold occupied by the Technical Wizards who've maximized the death metal spotlight for some time now. Our burgeoning battalion of today is fronted by the likes of Funebrarum, Witchrist, Teitanblood, Cemetery Urn, Excoriate (Deu), Ignivomous, [insert name of any number of other acts currently bubbling to the surface], and they're all collectively hurling their stony fists directly into the face of all that's spit-shined and punctiliously delivered from the more intricate end of the death metal spectrum. Which fittingly leads me into yet another addition to our Paleolithic Ranks: Australia's purveyors of putridity, The Dead.

Three Troglodytes bent on beating your eardrums to paste: that's the short definition of this straightforwardly monikered band and their second full-length courtesy of the brand-walloping-new record label born from Diabolical Conquest 'Zine. The simplicity behind the name is at least tolerably fitting, as there's not much in the way of bells and whistles to be found on Ritual Executions. No lengthy samples or keyboard atmospheric fillers -- just bulldozing guitar/bass (Adam Keleher), oodles of pummel-drumming (Chris Morse) and some seriously glottal vocals interspersed with scraping rasps (Mike Yee) directly from the album's onset to its closing forty-sixth minute. The music itself, however, is not as elementary as it seems on the surface. Perhaps a far cry from, say, Decrepit Birth, sure, but I'd also say the comparisons I've read to the likes of Hooded Menace or Coffins is equally off the mark. Opener "Burn Your Dead" and "Centurion" are the closest ditties resembling what you'd expect to slowly shamble up from a glowing sewer grate, but the remainder of Ritual Executions features some surprisingly brutal flailing that trots alongside an ample prominence given to rutting out a nasty little groove.

As far as I'm concerned, the prized hog amongst the passel is "Cannibal Abattoir," with its über irresistible toe-tapped drumming and Keleher's murky slide-style of infectious riffing stealing the show. A close second goes to the savage attack of "Born In A Grave," however, as it ferociously rips from the gate and features the album's heaviest nod to Jeff Walker-styled raspy vox to better suit its speedy charge. And just try to keep the entire family from happily howling along in the car to this cut's eventual Autopsy plod and bellow of "BORN...in a grave!" -- that's just good wholesome fun.

Also striking a satisfying mark is "Blood Angel," a tune that exhibits a formidable doomy riff at its heart and strengthens the entire brew with a sweet little Bolt Thrower hack at its midriff before heading toward the album's epilogue. And what an interesting curtain call "Death Metal Suicide" turns out to be. This deceptively titled little ditty culminates Ritual Executions by tossing the brutality and callousness built up by its predecessors in favor of closing the door with a 10-minute anomalous instrumental of smooth, back-porch-breezy fun. The record's first real semblance of lead guitar relaxingly slips you into the lounger as playful drums and jazzy bass further ease the day's troubles from your mind -- certainly an adventurous way to end an otherwise assaulting record.

There's really not much to target for scheisse-flinging here, if you count yourself a fan of purely rudimentary death metal. While I'll admit Ritual Executions is far from the most innovative record you'll hear this year, the band does do a handy job of putting their own little twist on the well-traveled model. The raw-as-dog-balls hoarse bark, plucky drumming and fluid riffing style spattered all over the record has definitely found me repeatedly tapping the vein for more. In addition, Portal guitarist Aphotic Mote's mix of the album is perfectly suited for capturing the organic coarseness The Dead are bent on delivering, but this intentional unrefinement is also sure to chase fans of the more clean, "entangled" style away. That's okay, though, as this particular brand was never really intended for the masses at hand.

As a (continually) self-professed devotee of the style, I'm pleased to see this band forge ahead with each subsequent release to elbow themselves amongst the expanding ranks of furrow-browed Cro-Magnons currently dragging knuckles through the death metal 'scape. Score one for the inaugural release from Diabolical Conquest Records: I say, long live The Dead.

Links:

myspace.com/The Dead

This product was added to our catalog on Friday 30 July, 2010.

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