Pestilence Reborn
Deadspawn
Today, to play Blackened Death Metal is a hard trial, because the band must choose to be in the vein of BEHEMOTH, or then use an old fashioned sound in the vein of the early bands from the 90s (basically, Death Metal using satanic lyrics). And in both ways, the lack of creativeness is becoming an all-present feature, because everyone is on one of these ways. It's rare to see something that is different. But patience can be rewarded sometimes, because there are bands like DEADSPAWN, from Phoenix, Arizona (USA) that comes to storm with fury with "Pestilence Reborn", their first full length.
They're a band using a more traditional Death Metal insight, but in a technical way that is linked to the formula 'brutal-but-technical' that Polish Death Metal School used to be in the past, when VADER reigned supreme on the genre. But the way the band plays is different and personal, and full of life and energy. Besides they still have to mature a bit more, they're in the right way. The sound quality of "Pestilence Reborn" is very good, with the quartet doesn't trying to emulate what was done in the past. It sounds clear and defined, but always heavy and brutal, with that essential aggressiveness coming from the oppressive instrumental tunes used, especially on the guitars.
Some maturing will make things better in the future, but for now, piledriving songs as "Warpath" (a brutal and fast song that shows very good work on bass guitar and drums), on thee excruciating "Ex Infernis" (very good somber ambiance created by the nasty guitar riffs used), some crude melodies presented on guitar lines during "Communion" (something that can be explored in a deeper way on their next releases), the technical insight and horror ambiance presented on "From Ruins", the brutality expressed in music form called "Language of Creation", and the excellent outfit used on "Shaitan" are the best ones.
Just a bit more maturing and DEADSPAWN will honor the USA Death Metal School. For now, "Pestilence Reborn" is a very good release, indeed.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Pestilence Reborn" Track-listing:
1. Warpath
2. Ex Infernis
3. Communion
4. Pestilence Reborn
5. From Ruins
6. Language of Creation
7. This Ascension
8. Limits of Flesh
9. Shaitan
10. The Plague Within
Deadspawn Lineup:
Ryan Roubison - Guitars, Vocals
Curt Durocher - Guitars, Vocals
Derrek Page - Bass, Vocals
Ryan Frech - Drums
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