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October 8, 2008 |
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01. Exordium
02. Awaiting Armageddon
03. Wave Of Annihilation
04. Fall Of Eden
05. Chemical Reaction
06. Casket For The Soul
07. Rise To Power
08. Visions Of Violence
09. From Wrath To Ruin
10. Abysmal Gods
11. Shadow Of Obliteration
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I got into MONSTROSITY a few years ago when I heard that Corpsegrinder (CANNIBAL CORPSE) was once at the helm. I purchased "Millennium" and was almost immediately blown away by the technical proficiency and music prowess this quintet from Florida possessed. After "Millennium" I managed to find their first release and genre classic "Imperial Doom" and the equally-impressive "In Dark Purity". These records added to the great reputation Florida created for Death Metal in the 1990's. "Rise To Power" (from Conquest Music) is no exception.
If MONSTROSITY are anything, they are consistent. From record to record, you know you are going to get blazing riffs that cover all areas of the fret board, lightning fast blast beats and galloping drum lines along with low, growling classic death metal vocals.
While the core of the "Imperial Doom" era line-up have moved on to other projects (CAPHARNAUM in particular), guitarists Sam Molina and Tony Norman methodically contribute machine-gun riffage and bounce lightning fast leads back and forth between one another. Unlike the present strategy of most new death metal bands (cramming as many notes into a riff as possible), MONSTROSITY exhibit great restraint. Technical playing is not about speed for the sake of speed, but rather is about fret-board proficiency and knowing when to back off a bit. To an end, this is why MONSTROSITY have always been able to deliver great records that appeal across many different genres and to many different fans of extreme music. As always, original drummer Lee Harrison delivers a rock-solid performance and takes writing credit on the majority of the tracks.
However, what sets this record apart from the rest of their catalogue is, in actual fact, nothing. I like this album. From front to back it is a solid death metal release from one of the bands that helped define the Floridian Death Metal sound. It is consistent from track to track and truly showcases the band's ability to write better-than-average songs. My only complaint is the fact that it doesn't offer anything really new and different. Apart from the production (which is slick and well-done), these songs could be easily transplanted seamlessly with any other of their releases.
You will like this album if you can appreciate what made death metal in the 1990's so great. In many cases, I don't think that MONSTROSITY have ever received the accolades they deserved. It always seemed that bands like DEICIDE, MORBID ANGEL, MALEVOLENT CREATION, OBITUARY and DEATH, while equally influential and talented, were able to make the most of their success. Unfortunately, it seems that constant line-up changes and large gaps between releases kept MONSTROSITY underground and out of the spotlight.
I was bit disheartened to hear that their latest European tour was canceled due to low ticket sales. That’s too bad considering the legacy MONSTROSITY has created. While I expect this record to be accepted by death metal purists and new jacks alike, whether or not it makes an impact in an already over-crowded genre is yet to be determined. Still, buy this record today and thank me later.
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