Tuesday, April 16, 2019

RAVENOUS DEATH - Chapters of an Evil Transition (2019)

Evil Transition: Awakening of the Damned Ones

The main reason I purchased this album was Ravenous Death's previous „Ominous Deathcult” Ep, really noteworthy piece of rotting death metal. I was just curious if this debut shot wasn't an one-night stand as all the members are involved in other different bands or projects. Luckily, the Mexicans went malapertly ahead and recorded those chapters, this time under the banner of Memento Mori bigger label, so the better production isn't just a sheer coincidence, I guess. Then, the next change appeared in the line-up as Miguel Angel left the band for serious healthy reasons (however he wrote music for three tracks) and Victor Mercado entered as a new leading vocalist. So, the scene has been infected in January this year, with ten completely new songs in the vein of... Yes, that's right, in the vein of pure death metal. And you know what? With the very first seconds of opening „Prelude to Evilness” I can see the goosebumps forming on my skin: this is slow introduction, mysterious and dark, with fantastic main riffing and ominous noises in the background. Having no time for a rest, „Doomed to Exist” strikes with full force and there is no any moment of surprise...

Well, the first meeting with the album was a little bit misdefining. I mean, not about the genre of course, but I got the impression that Esteban and his drums ordnance ruled the space. Next listens assured me it wasn't an incessant drum blast. What's more, the musicians avoided the boredom and monotony bringing just good and diversified portions of music within aforementioned style where inventing a wheel once again is absolutely redundant. My first connotations headed for two Vader's albums „The Ultimate Incantation” and „De Profundis” if the guitar and drum work is concerned and for old Demigod if I would like to underline some slower parts and its eerie melodies. Such a mixture supported by Mexican hot passionate blood and metal dedication results just a good old-school slab.

Yes, to mutilate the senses is the main purpose. And if the speed is the key in a way, there are a lot of memorable slowdowns. I still remember such tunes from „Rotten Flesh Murderer” and here I can easily indicate another ones in „Evil Dementia” (with pure Finnish scene worship), „Awakening of the Damned” starting at 1:23 which is quintessence of the style or the beginning of „The Sinister Being” with fantastic melody at 2:23. In turn, „Massacre Cult”, definitely written in the vein of Remains (but it's not a surprise as it was composed by Miguel himself) is an interesting collage of catchy leads and enraged destructive paces. I know I wrote about style purity, yet two more tracks should be mentioned right now. They are a bit different, „Initiation Ritual” has distinct yet short sounds familiar to melodic black metal (Dissection, Sacramentum), the closing track „Soul Consumed by the Occult” (mere fact, the last song from their Ep has word 'occult' in the title as well...) distinguishes itself from the rest by killing guitar parts with strong Spanish Ataraxy touch, being an exquisite closing song for the end.

This album is nothing but the evidence. The evidence that one may create gripping stuff using once invented and recorded things. Old-school is the spinal column throughout, the Mexicans were able to add the rest, boldly, precisely and at last successfully. All the pieces of the puzzle fit together, from scary and no hope giving front cover to rather not typical for such a genre Victor's gutturals, from ominous atmosphere to each single hard hitting ravenous riff. The sounds skelter along ruining the serenity without any mercy revealing something new to adore with every next meeting. And I tell you, as compared to the previous Ep, the transition has been done. Now, the band is a beast, ready to inscribe another death metal chapters. I wait.

88/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli

(written in April, 2019)

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