Zhou Tai 04
Member
Holy crap....I just got Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels today. Anyone who doesn't have this really should get it.
"Let the graves open - 90%
Written by orphy on February 16th, 2008
After hearing Dead Congregation's crushing debut EP entitled "Purifying Consecrated Ground", I knew this band was something to keep a close eye on. 3 years later, the band releases their debut LP. "Graves of the Archangels" is a modern death metal album that stays ahead of the pack, and will certainly change the way a lot of bands approach death metal today.
What makes this album so great? There are quite a lot of factors, but what it boils down to is twisted riffs, logical yet intelligent arrangements, all put together with tight musicianship and appropriate production.
The album kicks off with a really long intro which contains lots of odd guitar harmonies ala Immolation. After this song teases the listener, the second track rolls in and completely pummels eardrums. Riffs twist around in a well though out fashion against solid blast beats. The vocals are low and guttural, which is exactly what this kind of death metal needs. They aren't overpowering, but they are certainly appropriate. Many of the riffs on this album are taken from the school of Immolation and old NYDM. Whilst listening to it with some fellow goats, we spotted riffs that would belong on old Incantation material without a problem. Being fans of old death metal, this is highly appreciated.
Listening to the arrangements here, it's obvious these guys put a lot of thought. Nothing seems out of place, everything seems very logical and flows well. The title track is a great example of this. The song goes from some blasting part into a total Immolation melody, but the way it flows in is so smooth, it's just unbelievable. The drummer is certainly competent in these arrangements, as he sets his beats up in such a way that there are no awkward changes where momentum is lost. Momentum is conserved throughout the songs in some way or another, creating very tightly knit songs.
As mentioned, the musicianship here is just top notch. It's obvious from the aforementioned arrangements, but more apparently in just the overall presentation of the album. There is not a single missed beat here, but it still sounds human. There is a lot of feel in all these riffs, and each musician plays with intensity. No wonder it took about 3 years for this to come out, it's just played fucking well.
The production here is something that modern death metal bands should try to aspire too (like everything else on this album). The drums aren't triggered. The guitars have a tone that's not overkill, giving the riffs clarity. The bass is audible and fills out the space between the drums and guitar extremely well. The vocals are in a nice spot in the mix, not being over the top, being a bit buried but exposed enough in a happy-medium sense.
Everything about this album is just really well done and I applaud Dead Congregation for not only writing an original album, but for really showing all these fucking lame, triggered, and uninspired death metal bands how death metal should sound. Even lyrically the band is strong, with lyrics about decay, destruction and blasphemy, but done tastefully. All I can say is get this album. These guys, along with bands like Necros Christos are changing modern death metal for the better, and you don't want to miss out on this."
"Let the graves open - 90%
Written by orphy on February 16th, 2008
After hearing Dead Congregation's crushing debut EP entitled "Purifying Consecrated Ground", I knew this band was something to keep a close eye on. 3 years later, the band releases their debut LP. "Graves of the Archangels" is a modern death metal album that stays ahead of the pack, and will certainly change the way a lot of bands approach death metal today.
What makes this album so great? There are quite a lot of factors, but what it boils down to is twisted riffs, logical yet intelligent arrangements, all put together with tight musicianship and appropriate production.
The album kicks off with a really long intro which contains lots of odd guitar harmonies ala Immolation. After this song teases the listener, the second track rolls in and completely pummels eardrums. Riffs twist around in a well though out fashion against solid blast beats. The vocals are low and guttural, which is exactly what this kind of death metal needs. They aren't overpowering, but they are certainly appropriate. Many of the riffs on this album are taken from the school of Immolation and old NYDM. Whilst listening to it with some fellow goats, we spotted riffs that would belong on old Incantation material without a problem. Being fans of old death metal, this is highly appreciated.
Listening to the arrangements here, it's obvious these guys put a lot of thought. Nothing seems out of place, everything seems very logical and flows well. The title track is a great example of this. The song goes from some blasting part into a total Immolation melody, but the way it flows in is so smooth, it's just unbelievable. The drummer is certainly competent in these arrangements, as he sets his beats up in such a way that there are no awkward changes where momentum is lost. Momentum is conserved throughout the songs in some way or another, creating very tightly knit songs.
As mentioned, the musicianship here is just top notch. It's obvious from the aforementioned arrangements, but more apparently in just the overall presentation of the album. There is not a single missed beat here, but it still sounds human. There is a lot of feel in all these riffs, and each musician plays with intensity. No wonder it took about 3 years for this to come out, it's just played fucking well.
The production here is something that modern death metal bands should try to aspire too (like everything else on this album). The drums aren't triggered. The guitars have a tone that's not overkill, giving the riffs clarity. The bass is audible and fills out the space between the drums and guitar extremely well. The vocals are in a nice spot in the mix, not being over the top, being a bit buried but exposed enough in a happy-medium sense.
Everything about this album is just really well done and I applaud Dead Congregation for not only writing an original album, but for really showing all these fucking lame, triggered, and uninspired death metal bands how death metal should sound. Even lyrically the band is strong, with lyrics about decay, destruction and blasphemy, but done tastefully. All I can say is get this album. These guys, along with bands like Necros Christos are changing modern death metal for the better, and you don't want to miss out on this."
