Imprecation - Satanae Tenebris Infinita (2013)

This is one of those rare death metal albums that has come along in the last ten or so years that I genuinely like. I don't know if it's because I'm getting closer and closer to 'old fuck' status or what, but death metal has become increasingly unbearable to listen to, not to mention that as each year passes, I find the fans of this music to be that much more irritating to be around. Make no mistake about it... if we're talking about the shit I grew up on (old Entombed, Carnage, Accidental Suicide, etc), then fuck yeah, I have all the time in the world for that, but there's something about the last ten years that has really put me at odds with it all, be it the super over-produced "Michael Bay" sounding bullshit, or the ridiculously clinical noodling of the more technical faction or the side-splittingly laughable attempts at out-"undergrounding" everyone around them by the 'old school death metal' crowd (a trend that I find to be mind-bogglingly quizzical).

One thing I never understood was the insistence on labeling Imprecation a "blackened" death metal band. Vocally, they are about as death metal as you can get. There are no pussy black metal fag screeches to be found here. Speaking of which, this guy's vocals pick up exactly where David Vincent left off on 'Covenant'. I mean, they're just a cunt hair shy of being a fucking dead ringer, which is great as David's vocals on that album are among the best of all time.

The guitar riffs are thick and lean towards the lower end of the spectrum. Again, hardly a black metal trait, which is traditionally to jack up the tuning to the point of sounding like a transexual with his balls in a vice. Imprecation's guitar sound is nice and low with a rusty sheen that gives it a raw edge. The actually songs are definitely in the Incantation/Morbid Angel category of 'evil' sounding death metal. Some of this has to do with the "blasphemous" nature of the lyrical content, but make no mistake, the music needs to match the imagery and Imprecation are absolutely no slouches at painting a dismal atmosphere, proving that you do not need to hail from the lower Hudson River Valley in order to create hauntingly evil death metal of the highest order.

Hopefully it doesn't take another twenty or so years for these guys to release their next album as quality death metal bands like Imprecation are few and far between. Bravo fellas.