The best way to pay respect for those in music that are gone isn't to end it all, but to keep things rolling. It would be the will of those that leave this world, because the loved ones still reside in the hearts of all, and their memory only can honored as things are active. And maybe this is the reason for the German quartet CARNAL GHOUL release "Back from the Vault" (their first album) in the way it is.

They're a Death Metal act that uses a classic approach on the genre, but full of personality. And what makes this release a great idea is the fact that (due the sad passing of their vocalist Sven Groß on June 2021 due cancer) every song has a different (and famous) singer doing the vocals. So every track has a different taste and expression, but showing that the band really fits in an old and classical form of the genre, but keeping the personality sensible to everyone. It's nasty and aggressive, belling in brutality, but in a great way. The sonority of the album is bitter and rough, as a Death Metal album must be, but always respecting the Old School organic feeling expressed by the band. And the tunes used in each instrument reinforce the classical trend of the album. Yes, it's really a very good result.

Death Metal fans will love the album, especially songs as "Church of Dead Eyes" (a brutal and classical Death Metal song with very good influences from English School, and the vocals are done by Dave Ingram, of BENEDICTION), "Demand You to Scream" (some bitter and slower ambiences are full of extreme hooks, and what lovely vocals from Marc Grewe, former MORGOTH singer), "Death by Fucking Metal" (a song that evokes the old Thrash Metal and Hardcore influences of the genre, with very good riffs and Felix Stass, of CREMATORY, shows his grunts), "Grandmaster Flesh" (another song that uses the old mix of Thrash Metal and Hardcore influences, with a bonecrushing Old School rhythmic attack of bass guitar and drums, with good howling of Ralf Hauber of Revel in Flesh), "Backside of the Hatchet" (a slower moment that can remind what DISMEMBER did on "Massive Killing Capacity" on the guitars, and Jost Kleinert of LAY DOWN ROTTEN and DEMONBREED sings in a very good way with his snarls), "Ravenous" (where the vocals are of Leif Jensen, of DEW SCENTED, and some subjective nasty melodies arises in many parts in the middle of the charming hooks of the song), "Ritual of Cain" (of course that the vocals of Paul 'Death Metal' Speckmann of MASTER are simple to recognize, and what simple and brutal appeal, in the most Old School Death Metal possible way), and "To Always Remember (For Sven and Other Heroes)" (an epitaph for Sven and others, a song with contrasts between slow and oppressive parts with faster moments, with those personal Martin van Drunen's grunts and hisses known of his singing on ASPHYX).

"Back from the Vault" is a fine homage, but CARNAL GHOUL must keep on, obviously.