Day by day, the extreme Metal genres are showing some strange mutations. And Death/Black Metal isn't different at all: besides the model used by Polish scene, the one that gained popularity due BEHEMOTH and VADER explosion, some are trying to expand frontiers. And the North American trio RUIN LUST isn't one of them, as can be heard on "Choir of Babel".

The band prefers to explore more traditional elements on Death Metal, using the filthy and raw feeling of the 90's ways of the genre to make their music. So the best way to describe their music is Death Metal with darkened lyrics. It sounds like "Left Hand Path" or "Like an Everflowing Stream" being done once more, but without that lovely scent of something new and fresh of those days. It's not a bad release, but cares of a personalized approach of the band on its music.

Recorded and mixed by Travis Bacon, and mastered by Dan Lowndes, the sound quality of "Choirs of Babel" seems to be an emulation of what was done on the early releases of Death Metal between the end of the 80's and the beginning of the 90's, or in other words, extremely raw and filthy. Of course such thing works, but it creates a lack of identity, because such way belongs to the past, not the present, and a more modern insight could have done miracles.

The bitter and moldy feeling created by "The Choir of Babel", the oppressive feeling of slow parts shown on "Prison of Sentient Horror", and the morbid and somber feeling shown on "Bestial Magnetism" are their best moments, the tracks where the band shows tips that they have potential to be different, even trying to be in an Old School Death Metal format. It can work, but not in the way the band is doing.

Maybe the band must reflect what they did on "Choirs of Babel", check what could be better, and improve their positive points to extreme. But the best way for RUIN LUST is to search for a better producer next time, a guy like Peter Tägtgren could give them the right refinement.