After a very long hiatus, I'm back with an overlooked Tech Death gem (which is what most of you have come to expect by now). This one came recommended to me from the good folks over at youtube. I wouldn't give this album a chance for so long because it already had two strikes against it: the word "ouroboros" is in their name (which has become a huge cliche in recent years), and it has a very annoying, Deathcore-ish album cover. Once I finally looked past the flaws of the facade I was treated to some pretty awesome progressive and melodic Death Metal. Ouroboros remind me a lot of later-era Death mixed with the modern styles of Decrepit Birth. Glorification of a Myth isn't very "out there" or new, but it definitely delivers.
This self-titled album is a comp of their "To Worship Stone Gods" ep and their split with Cauldron Black Ram. It's still in the same style as "Hope Dies", but definitely more deppressive and less melodic. The vocals on these earlier works are in constant fluxuation between almost every known Black Metal vocal style: bird squawks, semi-clean yells, growls, and the ubiquitous screech. It adds tons of dynamics, but maybe a tough first listen for those used to a more "Darkthrone" type vocal. The sonics are actually quite good and relatively consistent for this type of comp, despite some volume difference between tracks. All the complex instrumental work is still there, in case you were expecting a more primitive affair. Nope, even in their beginnings, these guys could play their asses off. Download it. Do it.
There's not a whole lot to say about this one besides that it's really rare. I'd been searching for a download of it for a good year. Stupid, huh? Why don't I just buy it? Because I'm a cheap, poor bastard like most of you probably are.
Ok, but what does it actually sound like? It's pretty straight-forward early 90's Death Metal, sounding most like early Malevolent Creation with some early Morbid Angel in there too. The riffs are pretty simple and satisfying, as are the vocals. There are some gradual slow-downs and speed-ups as well as some proto-Slam breakdowns to add a challenging flair. What you see is what you get here. If you think the 90's were the "golden age" of Death Metal, you should surely give this a shot.
I honestly don't know why I waited so long to post this, as it's easily one of the most impressive Black Metal releases this millenium. A very basic way to describe this would be the Black Metal equivalent of Stargazer, except far more melodic. It definitely follows in the path of the progressive and groundbreaking metal that Australia's incestuous scene has been known for the past 6 years. The fact that this band features members of Portal and Stargazer should be no surprise, and only incite further enticement.
This album really has it all: great songs, musicianship, production value, dynamics, amazing artwork. What's also impressive is these guys manage to be challenging and unique while still maintaining the essential deppressive and sorrowful qualities of Black Metal. They're progressive without turning into another "genre-salad" band. If you've been digging the melodic bass of Beyond Creation, this album's got that too. Seriously you guys are gonna shit yourselves when you hear this.
