Genre: Black Metal
Label: Independent
Line Up:
Two years after the release of "Slavery and the Pursuit ov Sadness", which convinced me a lot, I'm back to review the new album by DEATH SHROUD, a Duo Black Metal made in the USA.
At the time I wrote that I expected a further step forward from the band, in fact in the previous work I had found excellent technique and good compositional taste influenced in a varied ways.
The album opens with the track "The Isolationist", a leap into the past as if to underline that the band's new intentions are a return to the origins of the genre, but already from the second track "Duality" you can sense that the band's musical style is not changed. We find the acid guitar riffs already appreciated in the previous work; the album flows fluidly and quickly between Thrash Metal and blast beat tempos.
The vocal part is, as always, very accurate, artfully intertwining the double voices.
In the second half of the album, there are the most interesting tracks, including the title track “Parhelion” and “The Five Hindrances”.
The album closes with “Carried on Ancient Winds” which recalls the Crust Punk style of Impaled Nazarene.
The inclusion of well-written guitar solos is always excellent.
The record sounds modern, but not overly pompous and digital.
The only flaw, if it can be defined as such, is the programmed drums: with real drums the album would have had more energy, by virtue of the strong Thrash Metal component that accompanies many tracks.
In conclusion, Sterthanas and Malevictus have created a well-defined and recognizable sound and are not afraid to step outside of genre clichés, intelligently being influenced by 80s Metal...
DOC.
