Review Summary: Poser or purist, Carnation's image and music say different things.
Rarely does a band’s image differ drastically from its sound, and in the case of Belgium’s young OSDM revivalist squad, Carnation, it’s especially curious. It’s not curious in the sense that their image contrasts tonally, but through the contrast of a decidedly old school sound with strangely modernist visuals. In both of their previously released music videos and in promotional images the band appears decked out in crisp, uniform leather jackets, but also fake blood, black paint, and even a set of chains crisscrossed stylishly across the chest in the case of frontman Simon Duson. Granted, death metal is built on a foundation of cinderblock heavy distortion and
cheese, but it comes off as a little gimmicky here. The album artwork is straightforward in its retro vibe, but their physical image isn’t the normal-dude-keeping-it-metal or the freakshow enigma you could find in the depths of the obscure bandcamp death metal scene. It’s all a little too clean, lacking the grime and menace needed to make it convincing, nor is it ridiculous enough to be obvious camp. Rather, it’s just a little too serious for comfort and quick dives through youtube comment sections and the unpleasant like reveal many writing them off as posers. Thankfully, the music on
Chapel of Abhorrence makes up for much of what Carnation lack in visual style.
Chapel of Abhorrence is fairly standard as far as OSDM worship goes. Carnation pull no punches, but the fact of the matter is that they don’t have many punches to pull in the first place. It’s a burly forty seven minutes of relentless bottom string rhythms, pounding drum beats, and Duson’s monotonous, yet effective guttural growl. The tempo shifts well between mid-paced stompers, creeping grooves, and spitfire tremolo riffs. It’s effectively produced, appropriate weight behind the instruments and no overly clicky kick drums to wear at the ears, though the bass is customarily buried in the mix. Some tracks wear out their welcome like “Sermon of the Dead”, which spends just a little too much time on bottom string chuggery and samey tremolos, though “The Whisperer” is ironically one of the better tracks despite being the longest song on an already overlong album thanks to its charmingly atmospheric build and better grasp on dynamics. Somewhat surprisingly due to the album’s emphasis on aggression, it’s the moments in “The Whisperer” or “The Unconquerable Sun” that are most efficient, moments where Carnation use retro guitar melodies to create early tension rather than bulldozing right into a stream of riffs. There aren’t many of these moments, but they’re integral in sustaining interest during Carnation’s often bullish approach to songwriting.
There’s nothing original here (literally nothing) and that will make Carnation’s debut very skippable for those already jaded with the recent progression of death metal. Likewise, their approach is single minded, making those searching for something a little more intriguing walk on by. For those just looking for a bit of effectively made death metal made in the old tradition with a modern paint job, look no further. Perplexing as their image is, it’s not the hardest thing to ignore in the pursuit of nostalgia.
