MAVETH is a new up and coming straightforward Death Metal band formed in 2007. With members ranging from the icy landscapes of Finland all the way to Denver, Colorado. Three of their members are also in the brutal Death Metal Band CRYPTBORN. Starting in 2009 the band went through a line up change where founding member Mikko Argillander was fired from the band. This enabled ChristButcher to move from playing bass to guitar and forge the current sound of thick de-tuned guitar riffs that is MAVETH'scurrentsound. To be honest, I don't hear any difference between CRYPTBORN and MAVETH and am somewhat baffled why they need two bands to play straightforward brutal Death Metal.

Their debut album "Coils Of The Black Earth" has just been released on American's Dark Descent Records. They are labelled Blackened Death Metal but 95% of their debut is moulded in American style Death Metal. The opening track "The Devourer Within The Gulf" begins like a scene from a movie. A soundtrack style intro backed by a storm and a man bellowing plays for the first minute until a killer riff kicks in accompanied by a blast beat. You know you are knee deep in Death Metal waters within the first 30 seconds of this release. The Guitar tones do have a hint of the classic Sunlight Studio Sounds that bands like ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER and UNLEASHED have immortalized. The sound of the guitars is the only influence as the riffs are much more in the style of INCANTATION, IMMOLATION and SUFFOCATION.

The best riffs on the album come halfway through "Hymn To The Black Matron" and "Terminus II - Hinnom Everlasting". Incorporating slow crushing riffs the songs breathe a lot better than the rest of the album. ChristButcher's vocals are extremely guttural. There is absolutely zero variation in his style throughout the record. It is exactly what you would expect and want in this genre. The songs do tend to drag on a bit and it is a little detrimental to the record. If they are going to insist on songs over 7 minutes they need to incorporate some guitar leads to break up the monotony. There is not a single guitar solo on the record and MAVETH is really doing themselves a disservice without incorporating this critical element of Death Metal.

MAVETH has a good understanding of who their fan base is and this record is in their wheelhouse. "Coils Of The Black Earth" is like a hammer pounding away at your brain for an hour. It never lets up, as it's a non-stop bludgeoning. It's grinding, dark, brutal and malicious. Again, you know exactly what type of listen this is right off the bat. It is a pure unadulterated Death Metal album. For a debut it is fairly solid but I think it would do MAVETH a world of good to embrace and build upon the small elements of Black Metal that show up on this release. If they follow that style more and have an equal blend between Black and Death Metal than I see their follow up being a more memorable release.