Father Befouled is a moody and dark American Death Metal band with some Black Metal influences to them, forming as a two-piece in 2006 early rehearsals and recordings spanned over a long distance (Illinois to Georgia). After a string of line-up changes and recordings, the band managed to secure permanent members and recorded a 7" titled "Rotting Godless Throne" and was released through Relapse Records in July of 2010. The band then went on to record the album "Morbid Destitution of Covenant", which was also released through Relapse Records; this album went on to get notable critical acclaim in Death Metal circles. It was even featured in the Top 40 "Albums of the Year" in Decibel Magazine. However, soon after their relationship with Relapse soured, Father Befouled signed to Dark Descent Records, and in 2012, released another album titled "Revulsion of Seraphic Grace". Since then, they have been fairly inactive as a band, but now they are returning with new album "Desolate Gods".

The album opens with the instrumental piece, "Exsurge Domine", which really sets a menacing atmosphere and you know that all familiar Death Metal wrecking ball is only moments away from colliding with you, which it unmercifully does. "Offering Revulsion" is a high caliber salvo of double bass drums and riffs that will make fans of extreme metal automatically want to wreck their neck, there are also some big open parts that allure your ears to a shredding crescendo. Then with barely pausing for breath the next musical assault begins; "Mortal Awakening" launches its presence with the grim high speed fret work of Scandinavian Black Metal, a very strong start thus far... but then the limitations with this approach to music become apparent and quickly compound.

From here on in, "Desolate Gods" exhausts an initiative in its songs. Every song sounds very similar and it was pretty much impossible to tell specific tracks apart, even after listening the whole way through a few times.  I would have to say, the biggest let down here is the production; the instruments sound "muddy" and give off the feeling they were recorded in a large concrete room that echoed a lot. I understand that capturing a dark paralysing atmosphere is a big part of this subgenre, but with such extreme music a crisp and clearer sound will stop it from becoming a discernible wall of noise, which happened here. Death Metal has come a long way since the late 80's; FATHER BEFOULED could certainly have a more pronounced stance in their subgenre if their next album has a lot more polish to it.<