Here's another new record that came out in the first half of this year, and one that still remains in the shadow; being that not a lot of people noticed it. The record that I'm speaking of is "His Divine Shadow", which is the third full-length album by San Diego, California (US) based Brutal Death Metal-oriented group CONDEMNED.

Although there are a few bands with the same name, these guys are unarguably the most popular ones; being that they have been active since 2004, and thirteen years of activity isn't a small thing nowadays. Although active for so long, they are indeed somewhat low on material, with only the following items being released thus far: "Mass Burial" (A demo from 2005), "Desecrate the Vile", their debut full-length (and my personal favorite) from 2007 "Promo 2008", the second full-length opus "Realms of the Ungodly" from 2011 (solid album), "Devil Feast" a split video from 2015, and finally this new record that was released through Unique Leader Records, on March 10^th.

The record contains ten really aggressive songs, and if you're a fan of the band and you still haven't heard it - you better do so. I'm not saying the band has invented anything new with this album, but it is nonetheless still worth a spin. "Penumbræ" is a solid starter that features a "windy" intro with some electronic touches to the overall thing. "Dawn" kicks off with heavy vocals and some genre-appropriate guitar riffs - which, I still need to highlight, feature that slammy, nasty and greasy guitar tone. The drums are furious and everything is a bit slowed down throughout this song, which made it really enjoyable for me. It has some truly great moments.

"Omniscient Perturbations" shows no mercy on the drumming part, and the vocals are still mad good. Most songs are three-plus minutes long, so there's a lot to enjoy on this record - which spins for over half an hour. "Legion" keeps kicking with the same vocal style, but the guitar is getting raped on this track; the tone here is just unbelievably sweet. The bass is also adequately loud - which is really important in Brutal Death Metal; a lot of people don't like acknowledging it, but it really is important. "Ascending the Spectral Throne" finally presents a change of the entire musical atmosphere, making everything much, much slower than before, and making this song more of a "dance-to" song; but only in the first half of the track, because in the rest the furious speed and raw brutality returns to conquer once again. "Nefarious Sanguine Decree" has a somewhat bizarre intro of something splashing, and it's left to one's imagination to realize what it might represent, but from my point of view, the entire album is based on a post-apocalyptic vision of the world, a world without a trace of hope left, and that's what the music is focused on.

I awaited the title-track patiently, and here it is. "His Divine Shadow" is the seventh track and I didn't wait for it for jut any reason. It might be as speedy as the rest, but its overall atmosphere is what makes it stand out. It's unique and bizarre. Its atmosphere is really something that doesn't lack any energy and I could easily say that this is my favorite track on the record. "Pestilential Reign" is slightly different from its predecessor. The previous song focused on a lot of shifting between speed, atmosphere and energy, whilst this song is just a classic one from the beginning of the album; although the bass here really stands out with its crystal clean sound. "The Hive Ablaze" is the penultimate track. This one takes the trophy for its vocal work. It's not just fast, it's catchy, relentless and merciless, and that's what sums up this band so well. This one track!

"World-Reaving Terror" is a perfect name for the last track, which is the slammiest of them all; it has the loudest vocals ever, the bass is beautifully brutal, the guitars are massive and the drums are powerful. This is certainly the best way to end an album - making the public want more.
Did I like this album? Absolutely! The only thing I disliked was the duration; it is short and too good! Do you like RELICS OF HUMANITY, perhaps INHERIT DISEASE or DEVOURMENT? If the answer is 'yes' then definitely don't miss out on CONDEMNED either. Cheers.