Gorefest - Rise to Ruin
Candlelight - CDL383 - September 25, 2007
By Ryan Starr
Here we have the almost sophomore release from
Gorefest, and what a release it is! If you didn’t know, these Dutch death metal masters broke up ’98 but came back with a vengeance in ’05. This is their second release since the reunion, and it’s a monster.
Right from the start we’re kicked in the teeth with the song
‘Revolt’, a powerful song about revolting against society (a topic that never gets old in the metal world). What really makes this track (and the rest of the album) crush, is the production. It sounds HUGE! Tue Madsen did a fantastic job, and the band definitely owes him for it. But let’s get to what matters most, the music.
Rise to Ruin pretty much has it all. While it has the trademark blitzkrieg speed that death metal is known for, there is no lack of great mid paced riffage and some awesome slow melodic parts. The lead work, while mostly simple and melodic, provides a great atmosphere that is almost soothing. The best example of this can be found in the track
‘Babylon Whores’ where it showcases an epic dual solo at the 3:30 mark. The song also shows off that variety I was talking about earlier, running the gambit from light speed to a doom crawl. It starts off brutally fast and slows down bit by bit, until you think the song is almost over, and then you’re hit in the ass with a cattle prod (or perhaps a tazer) and it’s off to the races yet again! It’s quite an enjoyable trick, I nearly jumped out of my seat the first time.
This album simply crushes. If youre a fan of
Aborted,
Vader, and
Bolt Thrower you will love this album. A definite must have!
Official Gorefest Website
Official Candlelight Website
