Torchbearer Yersinia Pestis
Metal Blade 3984-14489-2 04.05.04
By Anna Novitzky
There must be people somewhere who write music about nice, friendly, fluffy things like bunny rabbits and sunshine. I never get to see the fruits of their toil. Here we know what we like: gloomy, wretched, depressing subjects. Death? Pain? Misery? Business as usual. A concept album about the plague? Bring it on.
Yersinia Pestis is more or less what youd expect from an apocalyptic death metal album. A thirty-six minute rampage of unrelenting fury with medieval artwork, it buries the listener under a barrage of speed-drumming and unintelligible anguish, but leaves no lasting impression. The flood of noise is so insistent that, although it will blow you away at first, it soon fades into the background, rendered monotonous by its sheer mercilessness. I defy anyone to remember any of its distinguishing features, even after three listens.
That is not to say that its a bad album; it isnt. There are hints of the ever wonderful Decapitated in places, and the desolate, malevolent feel of Burzum in others. Every note and riff is skilfully executed and perfectly delivered. Its simply that Torchbearer unleash all their tricks at once, and continue to use them for the duration of the recording, making for unsatisfactory, predictable listening after the first few minutes. They use up all their energy in the first lap, and end up falling by the wayside. If they were to learn to pace themselves, though, they could produce something exquisite.
6/10
Official Metal Blade website
Metal Blade 3984-14489-2 04.05.04
By Anna Novitzky
There must be people somewhere who write music about nice, friendly, fluffy things like bunny rabbits and sunshine. I never get to see the fruits of their toil. Here we know what we like: gloomy, wretched, depressing subjects. Death? Pain? Misery? Business as usual. A concept album about the plague? Bring it on.
Yersinia Pestis is more or less what youd expect from an apocalyptic death metal album. A thirty-six minute rampage of unrelenting fury with medieval artwork, it buries the listener under a barrage of speed-drumming and unintelligible anguish, but leaves no lasting impression. The flood of noise is so insistent that, although it will blow you away at first, it soon fades into the background, rendered monotonous by its sheer mercilessness. I defy anyone to remember any of its distinguishing features, even after three listens.
That is not to say that its a bad album; it isnt. There are hints of the ever wonderful Decapitated in places, and the desolate, malevolent feel of Burzum in others. Every note and riff is skilfully executed and perfectly delivered. Its simply that Torchbearer unleash all their tricks at once, and continue to use them for the duration of the recording, making for unsatisfactory, predictable listening after the first few minutes. They use up all their energy in the first lap, and end up falling by the wayside. If they were to learn to pace themselves, though, they could produce something exquisite.
6/10
Official Metal Blade website
