Vomitory
Blood Rapture
Metal Blade
Maximum points for the name alone! Man oh man! Vomitory, besides sporting that incredible band name, “do” a potent retake of early-1990s Scandinavian death metal, giving Grave, Dismember, Unleashed, and Entombed particularly enthusiastic nods. But while the aesthetic may be familiar the sound is not; Blood Rapture has such a crystal clear and forceful sound that a whole new element of conviction and urgency is added to the mix. In other words, it’s not just that they’re going to feast on your entrails, they’re really REALLY going to make a mess and enjoy it.
Blood Rapture is some scary shit, man. Not only do Vomitory know their way around their instruments and a white-hot riff with a tight rhythm section to boot (the drums sound like a damn thunderstorm), but the lyrics keep up the sickness end of things quite well, especially in “Rotting Hill,” “Blood Rapture,” and “Nailed, Quartered, Consumed.” These boys are students of the death metal game through and through. Check out “Hollow Retribution” for proof, it’s a head-down-and-run grind rampage. Vocals are pure Sunlight Studios death renaissance, with some John Tardy-esque regurgitation added to the mix. “Blessed And Forsaken” has an excellent Slayer-on-HGH feel to it, the riffs are reminiscent of “War Ensemble.” And when the vocals try and keep cadence with the double bass flurries in “Madness Prevails,” how sweet it is! “Rotting Hill” is a keeper as well, the lead guitars try to communicate the fear implicit in a hill swarming with zombies, even while flying along at the speed of 500 mph. These songs are like a pack of undead mastodons (hey) rampaging over everything in their path. Me like.
Metal Blade Records: http://www.metalblade.com • Vomitory: http://www.vomitory.net
