To update old models of Metal subgenres is a trial that is easy to say, but hard to be done. It’s obvious that exist many that did that on the 80s and 90s, and those that are still doing it today, especially on Death Metal. Bands from the Second Wave of the 90s took what POSSESSED, DEATH, MASSACRE, MASTER left and took it to another level without creating new subgenres; today, many new acts are taking things to the next level, once more without reinventing the genre, as the German quartet APEP depicts on “Before Whom Evil Trembles”, their second full-length.

Technically relevant and still into classic Death Metal limits, the band creates a link between the past and the present. It’s obvious that there are traces of influences of acts as MORBID ANGEL, DEICIDE, IMMOLATION, CANNIBAL CORPSE and others on their musical work, but in a personal way (like the quartet was saying ‘we like their music, but ours will be done in our way’). It’s brutal and aggressive, fast on some moments (full of intense blast beats and double bass on the drums), some slow parts (with charming bitter guitars), and always tasty. And the energy they unleash is truly amazing!

The band’s guitarists O. Pikowski and P. Kühn took care of the recordings of the guitars, with T. Conrad working on the recordings of the drums and vocals, and the guest bass player ExxTom doing the same on bass guitar parts; and Christoph Brandes worked on the mixing (except for “Wanderers in the Waste” that was mixed by Jens Lötzsch) and mastering. These guys summoned a sonority that is brutal and aggressive in a point that can cause aches to the ears (even for those used to Death Metal), but defined and understandable. And the visual work of Paolo Girardi (cover art), Chris Orosz (layout) and Mäxxenwerk (artwork) is truly great. And to give a special to the album, here are T. Conrad on the vocals (that, in reality, is Cronos, singer and bass player of VENOM) and Jens Lötzsch on the percussion.

“Enslaving the Putrefied Remnants of the Deceased” (a true classic Death Metal song in the classic sense, with fast tempos and some slow parts, with charming technical parts of bass guitar and drums), “The Pillars of Betrayal” (that follows the same tendency, with a strong and technical work on the drums that’s really great), “Tombs of Eternity” (where the influences of USA Death Metal School is clear), “Wanderers in the Waste”, “Before Whom Evil Trembles (Goddess of Carnage)” (one of the finest moments of the vocals on the album, with very good grunts and snarls under brutal instrumental layers), “The Breath of Kheti” (where some groove enters their music in some parts), and the long “Swallowed by Silent Sands” (full of rhythmic variations and some unexpected elements) is a set of songs that is everything that Death Metal fans must experience.

APEP is really a very good name, and the tendency is that that’ll grow a lot and become a pillar in the Death Metal scene. “Before Whom Evil Trembles” enables them to it.