INCANTATION

Yet another monster of death metal has returned to remind us of its existence, to confirm that "the patient is more alive than dead." And there is no irony in my words -- there is none, because not every young death metal band is capable of releasing material this fresh, juicy, and vibrant. Classic American death metal that regularly veers into brutal territory underscores the seriousness of the musicians' intentions. A "standard" death metal cover in red tones with a skull in the center and a virus-like logo, and "standard" death metal -- but I wish everyone could play "standard" material this good. Perhaps the secret is that the band's lineup changes quite often (and that's quite the understatement in this case), which allows it to constantly infuse itself with fresh blood -- because as everyone knows, without an influx of fresh blood, meat (including the musical kind) rots, spoils, and starts to reek. Perhaps the reason lies elsewhere. For us fans of musical meat, it doesn't matter in the slightest. What matters to us is that the sound is clean and juicy, the music is heavy and ferocious, the guitars deliver that savage chug, the vocalist roars, the drums pound relentlessly, and hair follows the furious back-and-forth motions of the head. No melodic compromises -- only meat and blood. This record has all of that in abundance, so bang your head to your heart's content.