Lair of the Minotaur – The Ultimate Destroyer
Southern Lord – SUNN 56 – April 4, 2006
By Nathan Pearce
Lair of the Minotaur is a somewhat unknown band for some reason; although, I think that’s about to change. With the release of their very solid second album,
The Ultimate Destroyer,
Lair of the Minotaur has chosen a fine time and a great style to burst forth onto the scene with. Previous album
Carnage went by practically unnoticed. For some reason, I don’t think
The Ultimate Destroyer will.
LOTM combines a BRUTAL and punishing death metal attack with a bludgeoning, yet mid-paced grind sensibility. Throw in a little crusty punk attitude, and you’re probably getting close. To compare them to a band would be a little difficult, but I think throwing around names like
Mistress and
Pig Destroyer might do some good. Much like the two previously mentioned bands, LOTM seeks to brutalize the listener, although not at the expense of compromising the groove, for lack of a better word, of the song. Nearly every song on this album thrashes like a giant great white shark fighting off a mob of angry . . . uh . . . shark hunters . . . bad analogy, I know.
The Ultimate Destoyer rarely moves beyond a medium pace, although the occasional blast beat can be heard, along with the occasional slooooooow grinding section. Vocals range from hateful to downright scalding.
I can easily see
The Ultimate Destroyer slowly picking up steam throughout the year. Furthermore, it wouldn’t surprise me to see this band do some short tours with bands like
Napalm Death,
Slayer, or
Sepultura. Their sound would fit into a variety of categories, but this release is ultimately for fans of brutal metal. Honestly, though, I would be a little surprised to find that fans of even the daintiest of metal genres didn’t like this stuff. This is just the definition of an album to bang your head to.
7/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Lair of the Minotaur’s Official Website
Southern Lord’s Official Website
