Review by JD on December 14, 2009.

German metallists Heaven Shall Burn seem to be on the lips of many metallers for a while now... and I now have their 2006 release "Deaf To Our Prayers" to see what the big stink is about.

From the first pummelling riff of the opening track, Heaven Shall Burn takes no prisoners here. They come across as this brutal mix of sheer Thrash, manic Death, Hardcore Punk inspired music that has some shadings of Nu-Metal as well. Each part seems to emphasise the other parts equally... and does seem to be out to take your head off in one fell swoop, but it does have a couple of drawbacks that stops the juggernaut cold.

The vocals are... well... too predicable. They are delivered well, that is not the problem... they never stand out as original. It is all angst and aggression, but has no real substance to keep anyone interested. Musically, they have enough twists and turns to make the album more than just simply interested... but the all too cliché blow-torch-in-the-throat vocals are way over the top making it feel like the singer does not to fit the band as a whole.

Lyrically, they have some seriously interesting things going on, but the vocals are a huge setback for them. Things may have changed since the release of this album, I will have a closer look later on, but for now...seems like HSB is stuck in second gear and has no way of getting out of it any time soon. So close, yet so far... I am disappointed.

Categorical Rating Breakdown　

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 7.5
Production: 7
Originality: 5.5 (vocals hurt this rating)
Overall: 7

Rating: 7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on January 2, 2015.

Necrophagia performs a form of horror death metal that is high on the fun factor and low on technical prowess. There are often crushing riffs to be found amidst what is usually a mid-paced groove. The ghoulish atmosphere and sense of enjoyment of the band heighten this foundation up to a higher level.

The music follows a similar style to Autopsy or Obituary and like those bands it’s a pretty standard dimension of sounds that the band sticks to. The horror themes that the band incorporates into their music cannot change the fact that a lot of it sounds the same and doesn’t wander off into incredibly interesting directions. These are faults that are often overcome by catchy song-writing, however. Also, the riffs are also scathingly heavy at times add to the punishing array of assets the band has. The basic ingredient that makes this band relatively successful is the fun it seems to have. The tracks are given an assortment of energy from the amount of enjoyment that this band puts into the music. This element of fun easily bypasses any lack of complexity to be found on the album. One walks away with an aura of being excited by the music after even a quick listen and this is what makes this album successful.

Necrophagia also increases the enjoyability with a crisp production job that makes the guitar riffs and drums have a hammer-like effect on the listener. The overall amalgam of sounds is closed out by the title track which is an epic finale to a horror show of evil vibes and a similar devilishly good time. Chock WhiteWorm Cathedral up as a winner for the death metal genre that has tight and addictive songs throughout.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Chris Pratl on December 3, 2018.

Columbia's Nepente creates a black/death brand of musical sadism that is fast and tumultuous, but the question begs, does Suffering is the Seed manage to offer up a solid effort in the face of so many similar bands' underwhelming efforts? The answer is a stern...somewhat.

The music here is speedy, crunching, malevolent, and any other darkened adjective you wish to assign to it. While my first impression was to dismiss it on the basis of over-polish and too much of the same old song and dance, I'd be wholly remiss to be so judgmental in the face of momentary brutality. Yes, the music here is nothing new, and yes, you've heard it done even better than Nepente might produce, but the tracks on Suffering is the Seed are, honestly, disturbingly good. I'm not exactly sure what drew me to the sound, as I've heard similar bands a million times over, but the songs are just interesting and enjoyable from these guys. There is nothing in the way of stark variation, so I'll do my best to keep it simple for the sake of personal enjoyment.

The dynamic here is black metal ala the Norwegian forerunners, right down to the screechy vocals that make Ihsahn sound contrived in spots. I will admit the switching from speed to melodic riffing is a definitive point of interest and keeps the music from stagnating too much. I can also hear some Deicide elements in the arrangements (“Merciful Death”), but please don't go in expecting such polished perfection ala Legion. What makes Nepente enjoyable is the basic formulaic sound that has been making the rounds for too may years now, and sometimes it works and mostly it doesn't; for now, on this record, it works out well for this jaded old man. 

The small point of contention I hold is the production being so crisp and so polished that the overall din that should surround this music is left a bit blanketed in the mire of a larger sound that should simmer a bit lower in its own swill. I'm not picking on the band for its want of stellar sound by any means, but some things are left best with a bit of intangible aura looming overhead. Hey, if that's the worst thing I can offer about the record as a whole, then it's small potatoes. 

As I said, nothing new is to be found here by any means, but if you enjoy the occasional jaunt backwards to tap into your hidden recesses of evil and blackened death metal, give this album a few spins, as it's quite far from wasted time.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)