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ANGEL CORPSE:
THE INEXORABLE
Olympic
Recordings / Osmose Productions |
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Finally, ANGEL
CORPSE in stores. Chicago-based label Olympic has done the States
a favor by making one of the USA's most punishing acts readily available.
They picked the ideal time to do it, too, because while HAMMER OF GODS
and EXTERMINATE elevated ANGEL CORPSE to the top of the hierarchy,
THE INEXORABLE levels the entire genre with its focus and intensity.
The group is now down
to three - Pete Helmkamp (bass/vocals), Gene Palubicki (guitars), and
new drummer Tony, who has played for AURORA BOREALIS and MALEVOLENT CREATION
among others. He replaces John Longstreth, and completely lays waste to
everything John did for ANGEL CORPSE and then some. His performance is
on par with Pete Sandoval, Hellhammer, and Fredrik Andersson, displaying
an inhuman stamina and precision throughout the eight tracks of dominating
aggression. "Stormgods Unbound" leads off, equalling and then
annihilating the penultimate opener "Christhammer." Tony's blasting
arsenal is replete with techniques I haven't heard before; he rides double
bass for added momentum -- not unheard of, but sparsely used by other
skinsmen -- but on "Stormgods" and later on "The Fall of
the Idols of Flesh" he keeps gallop patterns under the blast that
heighten the insanity.
Helmkamp fronts with
his recognizable vocal style, delivering even faster than previous outings
this time. That would be because of Palubicki, whose riffs just explode
through the album while maintaining a solid identity and variety. They
do an even better job of separating one song from the next than on EXTERMINATE,
but again the components are still assembled from speed. They have a little
fun with this on "Wolflust," finally recorded on cd after being
on seven inch for a few years, with its intermittent catchiness and acceleration.
On the misleading
"Begotten (Through Blood and Flame)" they move along at a determined
marching pace and just as suddenly release both barrels in one of the
most pulverizing blast sections I've had the privilige of hearing. "Solar
Wills" is another jaw-dropping track, where Gene's amazing 7-string
axework propels the song well beyond the stratosphere. It's hard to conceive
of a more talented trio alongside ANGEL CORPSE, KRISIUN, and MORBID
ANGEL right now, and ANGEL CORPSE has definitely met their competition
and raised the stakes. It's been a decent year for death metal, but this
is the conqueror.
5 Perplex Skulls
This review copyright 1999 E.C.McMullen Jr.
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