Review Summary: for those about to trem
It goes without saying that Egyptian-themed death metal is a very overpopulated subgenre. So it's no surprise that many great bands from this particular scene have either been forgotten in time or never got the recognition they deserved in the first place. Such is the unfortunate case with Apophis, an awesome band from the depths of Germany.
One look at the album cover of
Down in the Valley gives the listener a good indication of what they are about to experience. It's almost as if the warm and inviting fellow on the cover is communicating telepathically and saying "listen to this album and enjoy what you hear, or the great eye of Horus will pierce your soul with venomous fury and wrath". Fortunately for us weak and mortal listeners, this album is very easy to enjoy. That is if you like nonstop swededeath trems, bowel-moving bass, and blastbeats that forcefully pound your face deep into the flaming hot sands of ancient times.
Interspersed among the triumphant and uplifting trems are many neat moments that keep
Down in the Valley from being classified as simply a melodeath album. "Awake" features enough guitar wizardry and and other such shenanigans that it would make Chuck nod his head in approval. "Personal Freedom" features a clean guitar intro that is so gentle it could lull a baby to sleep. The solos throughout the album, particularly on "Ode to the Golden Fruit", are soulful enough that even the most hardened of listeners may experience emotions they have not previously felt. Perhaps the strangest and simultaneously most awesome moment on the entire album is the techno-inspired dance beat featured in the intro of "Until My Blood...". When the listener hears this, they won't even wonder why they are hearing electronic music in the middle of an Egyptian-themed death metal album. They will simply submit to the awesomeness of what they are hearing, just as the strange and ever watchful figure on the album cover would want them to.
As previously mentioned, the bass on this album is loud and pretty much always audible. The bassist is not DiGiorio or Malone tier but he gets the job done, and audible bass is always better than inaudible bass. The drummer blasts away the entire time and is not super flashy. His bass drum has a silly clicky sound that is strangely cool and suits the album well. Lastly, the vocals are pretty much your standard death metal cookie monster fare. Not a particularly standout aspect of the album, but they are still solid.
Listeners who enjoy melodeath, osdm, and flat out awesomeness should find plenty to like on
Down in the Valley. Listen to this album and spread the word to other metal fans so it doesn't become another lost artifact of Egypt's long and storied history. /ɯ
