Review Summary: Real Death Metal
Pathogen lives up to its reputation. Finally chanced upon this band, its new album titled ‘Forged in the Crucible of Death’. This is one of the most “refreshing” albums I’ve heard in its style of playing dated i.e. Old School Death Metal. That’s because it’s pure in every sense of the term. This isn’t a reissue but it’s as good as if it’s actually from the late ‘80s.
‘Forged in the Crucible of Death’ follows in the tradition of Possessed, evolves into Death Metal the way Autopsy started to do, bypassing several styles, all old school to create something that sounds refreshing. Now when I use that word, I know the music isn’t groundbreaking but its concoction is authentic, something that’s crafted from the very cauldron the original bands drank from.
Master, Kreator, Sodom, Incantation it’s all there. It’s not the way you’d like to see it but there are traces of every one of them. It’s that era all over again. The song writing skills are phenomenal, the thrashiness is unabated, the production is sizzling and organic all through. There’s no darkness for the sake of it – it’s inherently dark, like how Slayer sounded dark without the production doing it for the band.
Special mention must be given to the artwork – it’s all hand-drawn, eschewing the use of photoshop from as far as I can tell. When such a band invites you to join its cult or rather “slave club” I’d be tempted. It’s easily the best band from its country of origin, that’s Philippines which is mostly known for its Brutal Death Metal bands. It reeks of Death Metal, true in spirit and outcome. It’s music that is felt first and then recreated. That makes all the difference. This is why the classic music never goes out of fashion – because it has soul. And Pathogen has taken only the elements to create something in its own way, own song structures, stringing together riffs that meld into one another, to create an album that stands out not on the merit of its image, but its music. It doesn’t have to scream for attention – it deserves that.
