Review Summary: Sick, disgusting, vile, putrid, sinister, scummified, death metal
Since Blaspherian's inception in 2004 this group of Texan's have been steadily slaying everything in the path. Their latest release Infernal Warriors of Death is no exception. This is one of the most sinister sounding death metal records that come to mind in recent memory. Being a fan of the bands past material it is exciting to see them finally drop a full-length, and after listening, just like with past releases this leaves the listener wanting more. Prepare yourself for a wretched slab of old school death.
The guitar tone is riddled with distortion and is very relentless, it sounds as though mounds of mud are being catapulted out of their amps straight into your ear. There is little room for soloing throughout the record and while this may turn some off it really gives it a more consistent, brutal sound. The lack of solos also adds to the already dense vibe that Infernal Warriors of Death gives off. The playing follows closely to the typical formula, crushing riffs followed by tremolo picked sections. Instead of just constantly throwing riffs out there and seeing what sticks the band utilizes them to create the evil atmosphere that fills the near forty minute playtime. It is rare that you will hear a melody seep though the cracks of this brutal slab of old school death but when it does it works. On tracks like "Infernal Warriors of Death" one can hear a brief example of this, it would be interesting to hear what the band could do if they incorporated this more often but it would be difficult to maintain the heaviness that makes this release so great.
The vocals come straight from the depths of hell. In fact it wouldn't be to hard to convince one that Lord Apollyon is satan himself. There is very little variation in vocal style aside from the occasional scream layered over the growls. So, all in all the vocal performance is pretty straightforward and pummeling from start to finish. The drumming here is fantastic. Rather than just constant blasting we hear many slow, creeping rhythms throughout. That's not to say that there is no blasting involved. Matt Mayhem can destroy the listener's face in an instant when it is necessary.
Overall this is nothing that you haven't heard before. With that being said Blaspherian is one of the only bands that can capture this sound and not become dull after a solid thirty minutes. Don't go into this expecting to have your mind blown but expect to be crushed, dismembered, and sacrificed for satan during this vicious onslaught of death metal. Highly recommended for all the fans of the old school filth.
