Italy in general, and specifically Rome, has one of the richest cultures on the planet.  From the Colosseum to St. Peter's Basilica, there is well over 2000 years of history in this famed city.  What some may not attribute to Rome, however, is brutal Death Metal.  Enter LECTERN, a four-piece formed in 1999 in Rome and committed to playing traditional old school Death Metal.  Theirs is a sound deep-rooted in three decades of savage tradition yet delivered with top-notch production so that the end result is a polished affair sure to impress any potential fan.

The title track leads off the album with an old school Death Metal groove not far off from GRAVE, though without the HM-2 pedal attack that is key to the legendary Swedish Death Metal tone.  The second track, "Placid Must Defunct," is based around a minor tremolo-picked groove a la David Vincent-era MORBID ANGEL.  The band's approach to the blasting sections is one not heard often in Death Metal as the chords are approached from an almost Punk perspective.  The 4:00 mark turns the MORBID ANGEL vibe way up with a slow octave-chord riff which goes into a staccato palm-muted section before returning to the faster Death Metal sections.  "Leals Shall Kill," the fifth track, is one of the most brutal songs on the album, and after a decisive blasting section comes a dirge of slow palm-muted chords where the bass simply roars.  The breakdown in the middle of the song is built by bends and double-picked passages alternating with a GORGUTS-like appeal.

"We have forgotten God!  You!  You have forgotten God!"  This is perhaps the most brutal moment on the album as the preceding words are uttered by what seems to be a priest over a huge old school Thrash/early MORBID ANGEL breakdown in the seventh track, "Dogmatician of Predicator."  The song also features a well-executed blend of varied tempos, picking styles, and chords which all equal a most unrelenting affair.  The most memorable solo on the album is featured in the latter part of the song, a lengthy, fluid, and diverse melodic exercise.

The vocal approach is low, hoarse-sounding Death Metal similar to old INCANTATION.  Rhythmically, the drums are sharp and on point, and the bass steadily holds down the low end.  The guitars adopt an old school tone that's like a hybrid between Swedish Death Metal, AUTOPSY, and OBITUARY.  It's a huge tone in which chords ring out for days, and with its own brand of fuzz.  Despite having a sound that is dedicated to old school Death Metal, LECTERN have a modern production which is sure to garner more fans along the way.  Listening to the album, scenes are conjured of barren wastelands emptied of life as warriors of the left-hand march through fueled by lust for blood and collecting souls for their infernal master.  The tone is simply that sinister that it has a Satanic militancy edge to it.  The extremely polished affair is an ample showcase of a band rooted in the past yet composing dark hymns of brutality aimed at the future.