Eciton - Oppressed
Adipocere Records - CDAR99 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
Death metal must be significantly more popular in Denmark than pretty much anywhere else in the world - and I don't say that because of the recent upsurge in purveyors of de-tuned bludgeoning from the land of particularly tasty bacon. No, it's because they apparently hold a regular contest called the Danish Melo Death Grand Prix - and the reason I know that is because Oppressed is the debut album by the winners of that contest. Now, I admit I haven't read the rules of that competition, but one suspects from the title that it's a melodic death metal contest - so how Eciton's particularly bruising brand of Floridian-influenced brutal death metal swept the boards is something of a mystery. I bet The Duskfall were pissed.
But anyway, Oppressed. The brief description I gave of the band's sound above tells you pretty much everything you need to know about them. Down-tuned, fast-paced, cookie-monster-vocalled, riff-salad structured, straight-forward brutality, spiced up with occasional melodic flourishes that are quickly subsumed by sub-Cannibal Corpse DM cliches like single bar bass solos or syncopated riff/grunt passages. If you've heard one, you've heard 'em all.
If you're a really die-hard fan of this sort of undemanding, undiscerning bludgeon, then you'll be windmilling your way to the store to pick this up already. But in a world where Nile, Rudra and Melechesh exist, the rest of you will kind of question whether we really need another band of this ilk. As for me, I'll continue mourning the passing of Eciton's significantly superior countrymen, Iniquity - one of whom is now in this band!
6/10
Official Eciton Website
Official Adipocere Records Website
Adipocere Records - CDAR99 - 2005
By Philip Whitehouse
Death metal must be significantly more popular in Denmark than pretty much anywhere else in the world - and I don't say that because of the recent upsurge in purveyors of de-tuned bludgeoning from the land of particularly tasty bacon. No, it's because they apparently hold a regular contest called the Danish Melo Death Grand Prix - and the reason I know that is because Oppressed is the debut album by the winners of that contest. Now, I admit I haven't read the rules of that competition, but one suspects from the title that it's a melodic death metal contest - so how Eciton's particularly bruising brand of Floridian-influenced brutal death metal swept the boards is something of a mystery. I bet The Duskfall were pissed.
But anyway, Oppressed. The brief description I gave of the band's sound above tells you pretty much everything you need to know about them. Down-tuned, fast-paced, cookie-monster-vocalled, riff-salad structured, straight-forward brutality, spiced up with occasional melodic flourishes that are quickly subsumed by sub-Cannibal Corpse DM cliches like single bar bass solos or syncopated riff/grunt passages. If you've heard one, you've heard 'em all.
If you're a really die-hard fan of this sort of undemanding, undiscerning bludgeon, then you'll be windmilling your way to the store to pick this up already. But in a world where Nile, Rudra and Melechesh exist, the rest of you will kind of question whether we really need another band of this ilk. As for me, I'll continue mourning the passing of Eciton's significantly superior countrymen, Iniquity - one of whom is now in this band!
6/10
Official Eciton Website
Official Adipocere Records Website
