Sometimes, I can get things so very, very wrong. For some reason the word “Gore” always makes me think of Grindcore, which is not a form of music that I am at all fond of since I find 30 seconds of tuneless noise very, very boring indeed even without the band repeating what sounds like the exact same song 50 times on the album. Based on the totally erroneous assumption that the word Gore meant that this was an indication of what to expect from them musically I had previously avoided this band despite them being held in high regard in Death Metal circles and despite the additional interest of drummer Ed Warby also being the Ayreon/Star One drummer.
This was the first Gorefest album that I had heard and on hearing it I immediately realised the error of my ways and instantly became a Gorefest Fan. It really was that immediate. The brand of Death Metal that Gorefest serve up here is every bit as catchy and groovy as it is heavy and I had no trouble at all in getting into it at all and was hooked from the very first listen. From the opening riff of opening track “For The Masses” to the closing epic 10 minute long instrumental title track all 60+ minutes of this album are absolutely fantastic with nothing even remotely resembling a dull moment in sight..Special mention must also be made of the production which is the best that I have ever heard for a Death Metal album and everything can be heard loud and clear.
The songs are very varied and distinct from each other yet they all keep what I can only guess is a trademark Gorefest sound. In fact, they are one of the few Death Metal bands out there who I would confidently say that I would recognise that it is them on hearing a song by them that I hadn't heard before without being told who it was by. In a world that has far too many soundalikes in it that definitely gets a point in my book.
Vocalist Jan-Chris de Koeijer definitely deserves some kudos here as the vocals are among the most distinct and clear that I have ever heard in Death Metal and yet lose none of their heaviness in being so. In fact, it only gives them far more power than the usual unintelligible frog burping that too many other bands “treat” us to. He sounds angry and this is only fitting as Gorefest sing about social and political issues instead of, well, gore. It does make a nice change to hear a Death Metal band singing about serious things and have lyrics that are actually worth hearing for a change, especially since they are also one of those Death metal bands where you can actually hear them.
I am running out of superlatives here and just have to say that I am totally blown away and recommend getting this to everyone. Those of you who are familiar with the band will know that this is their first album since reforming after splitting up in 2000 and I can't tell you how it compares to the albums that they recorded before they split but I can tell you that if their back catalogue is half as good as this then I have a lot of great music to catch up on. I'd better go and make a start then.
Standout Tracks: For The Masses, You Could Make Me Kill, La Muerte.
