Outer Heaven – Realms Of Eternal Decay
Those of you out there who know US band Outer Heaven will know that on their previous releases they have ventured far and wide into various musical territories, which I only know through my investigations into the band and not through actual listening experience as I decided to listen to this debut full length "Realms Of Eternal Decay" in its own right without any influence from what has happened previously.
Essentially Outer Heaven are a death metal band but like a lot of acts vying for attention in a saturated market they add their own take on the genre by injecting snippets of not necessarily other genres but just mixing things up a little as this whole monstrous release begins with 'Vortex Of Thought'. Immediately you are thrust into a hideous domain of deathly grotesquery that completely envelops courtesy of the massive sound, the bass hook is crust laden and leads into grisly vocal exudations that are utterly gutter trawling. With every passing moment the song seems to change tempo as I particularly liked the slow pervasive riffing style.
That is reminiscent of the repugnant Scandinavian scene, especially the Finnish variety and it is that foundation that gives you an indication. As to the crux of this album which continues with the speedier 'What Lies Beneath', its semi blasted rancour has hints of a grindcore structure especially on the groove riff chunks.
'Multicellular Savagery' assails with waves of wrecking potency until the excellent riff break and cymbal smashing section with subsequent blast beat. The massive tangential drop in pace into a sludge drive is monumental and sends the listener reeling and, as I said, this album has snippets of mixing things up and as that sludge drive crumble a crust laden bass hook dominates. But everything is welded together seamlessly; nothing is out of place.
'Sacrificial Evolution' is very Morbid Angel like with a punishingly slow double kick infusion that yields for a stark change in riff that materialises abruptly but with great results, as the track weaves through various riffs and hooks. As the song hits its closing section the superb bass and drums are left allowing a distorted guitar to linger within making the track manifestly creepy at the end.
Closing this beast of an album is 'Decaying Realms' which is a tad longer and all death metal fans will latch onto its guitar hook being very Death like, its catchiness and melodic impetus is slightly different to the rest of the album but no less dense as the transition into the pulverising blast is cohesively executed. This debut by Outer Heaven is a monster of an album, at its core is death metal, but within that core are threads and fronds of ingenuity yet retaining that malformed quality we expect of death metal with devastating results.[embed]
Essentially Outer Heaven are a death metal band but like a lot of acts vying for attention in a saturated market they add their own take on the genre by injecting snippets of not necessarily other genres but just mixing things up a little as this whole monstrous release begins with 'Vortex Of Thought'. Immediately you are thrust into a hideous domain of deathly grotesquery that completely envelops courtesy of the massive sound, the bass hook is crust laden and leads into grisly vocal exudations that are utterly gutter trawling. With every passing moment the song seems to change tempo as I particularly liked the slow pervasive riffing style.
That is reminiscent of the repugnant Scandinavian scene, especially the Finnish variety and it is that foundation that gives you an indication. As to the crux of this album which continues with the speedier 'What Lies Beneath', its semi blasted rancour has hints of a grindcore structure especially on the groove riff chunks.
'Multicellular Savagery' assails with waves of wrecking potency until the excellent riff break and cymbal smashing section with subsequent blast beat. The massive tangential drop in pace into a sludge drive is monumental and sends the listener reeling and, as I said, this album has snippets of mixing things up and as that sludge drive crumble a crust laden bass hook dominates. But everything is welded together seamlessly; nothing is out of place.
'Sacrificial Evolution' is very Morbid Angel like with a punishingly slow double kick infusion that yields for a stark change in riff that materialises abruptly but with great results, as the track weaves through various riffs and hooks. As the song hits its closing section the superb bass and drums are left allowing a distorted guitar to linger within making the track manifestly creepy at the end.
Closing this beast of an album is 'Decaying Realms' which is a tad longer and all death metal fans will latch onto its guitar hook being very Death like, its catchiness and melodic impetus is slightly different to the rest of the album but no less dense as the transition into the pulverising blast is cohesively executed. This debut by Outer Heaven is a monster of an album, at its core is death metal, but within that core are threads and fronds of ingenuity yet retaining that malformed quality we expect of death metal with devastating results.[embed]
1. Vortex Of Thought
2. What Lies Beneath
3. Pulsating Swarm
4. Multicellular Savagery
5. Echoes From Beyond
6. Tortured Winds
7. Bloodspire
8. Sacrificial Evolution
9. Putrid Dwelling
10. Decaying Realms
2. What Lies Beneath
3. Pulsating Swarm
4. Multicellular Savagery
5. Echoes From Beyond
6. Tortured Winds
7. Bloodspire
8. Sacrificial Evolution
9. Putrid Dwelling
10. Decaying Realms
