Analepsy - Official Website
Atrocities From Beyond |
Portugal
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Review by TheOneNeverSeen on February 6, 2023.
After having listened to some other notorious slam death metal artists, I’ve decided to get acquainted with this band (I knew about it before, but haven’t managed to listen to any complete albums). And, while "Dehumanization by Supremacy" and "Quiescence" are merely fine works, this one is an absolutely mind-blowing one and definitely belongs in the same category as "Unleash the Carnivore" and "Ingesting Putridity".
Nearly everything about this album is perfect. It has multiple remarkable moments such as the stunning screeches at 0:52 of "Rifts to Abhorrence" and 0:40 of "Eons in Vacuum", the blasting intro of "The Vermin Devourer", which is in your face, the catchy chorus of "Witnesses of Extinction" or the breakdown of "Engorged Absorption" followed by the album’s best solo. The riffs and songwriting in general aren’t outstanding for slam, but don’t sound too generic, either, which is a rare thing for the genre. The buzzy guitar and the ferocious drumming are very energetic, which matches the monstrous (and, as previously outlined, even a bit surprising at times) vocals perfectly. So, all traditional elements of slam are nicely incorporated in this record, without sacrificing the musical diversity. I would also like to note the impeccable production. Unlike many slam death metal albums, "Atrocities from Beyond" doesn’t try to shock you with its brutality and heaviness (and thus doesn’t mingle the instruments in a messy flow of sound), which makes its sound, balancing between heavy and clear, unconventional and even unique in a way.
Consistency-wise, this album is also great. Nearly all songs are great bangers, while some ("Rifts to Abhorrence", "The Vermin Devourer", "Witnesses of Extinction") are now among my favorite ones in the genre. The only tracks I personally didn’t find as exciting are "Atrocity Deeds" (where the backing vocals seem a little bit out of place) and "Omen of Return" (a drum-less instrumental outro which I consider unnecessary). But they are also tolerable and so don’t alter my impression of the album significantly.
Despite not being extraordinary, the lyrics are good, too. Most songs follow the traditional slam metal relentless-abyss-consuming-screaming-mortals lyrics style, but are nonetheless fine and not too uniform. Overall, the lyrical content of the album is closer to the atmosphere of late Hypocrisy (especially the lyrics of "Atrocity Deeds") than to the abundant gore of some other slam death bands.
To wrap up, this album is a slam death masterpiece. Just as epic and chaotic as its cover.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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