Today we discover one of Sydney, Australia's death metal bands, Mass Burial. As they are local to my own part of town, I’ve managed to see these guys play live a couple of times so I basically know what to expect with this review. Though as always, I enter into this with a fresh mind as we delve into 'Eternal War'.
Etemmu - We are led into this album with faint, rumbling growls, a heartbeat and a slow stepping atmosphere. An implosion of sound quickly erupts with furious drums, heavy riffs and rumbling death growls. The vocals are not easily deciphered without the lyrics at hand. Only then can you truly follow. The drums seem somewhat out of whack at times but I think that it due to their jazz / death style infusion. Well, that’s what it sounds like anyway. It is a well paced track and nicely balanced too. Overall, it is a good way to start this album.
“Raised from Hades by spell, Infernal beast wandering the Earth, Revenge is mine, For all the evil summoned by the wrath...”
Mass Burial - This next track has quite the brutal introduction. The fury of the drums is most enticing. You can hear the bass guitar tearing through the notes with vigorous speed. The death vocals are deep and smoothly relayed. The guitar lets out a lead in the second half of the track. I would prefer it to have been a little more intricate but it suffices for what lyrically defines the atmosphere. At the end of this song we have machine gun fire and screams. The album seems themed with tracks placed accordingly and thus far I think they have done a good job in placement.
“Killing to the extermination, Human inferiority in you, Blood trail follows to your doorstep, Screaming tortured for the lust...”
Archways Of Cutha - Straight into this next track and we are met with heavy riffs and a deep death growl. The drums are again well paced and much like the constant firing of a gun. The guitars vary their melodies and pace. You will find yourself thrashing about to this one if you haven’t to the others all ready. There is a better lead in this one too. This song just seems a little more relaxed in its intensity and seems to make it more ‘listener interactable’ as opposed to just ‘listen and enjoy’. Now when I say relaxed, I mean it flows better like it wasn’t thought about too much. This is my favourite track thus far.
“Dark shadows invoking, The souls of the damned, Curse from Hades, The Earth resonates the lament...”
Retaliation - The whispering winds lure us into this next track. The music soon clambers on in with an imposing presence of furious drums and lacerating guitar melodies. The vocals are so smooth they are almost calming amidst all the musical brutality. Musically, it sounds like an industrial butcher with machines hacking away at the innocent. Funny enough it basically is what the lyrics are expressing to match this design. War is basically butchering the innocent after all. All in all it is another brilliant effort at matching the lyrics to the music and it is perfectly placed in the album.
“War, The insanity breeds endless hate, Scenes of slaughtered tombs in mass graves, Summon the spirits of all our dead, Screaming for vengeance with no regret...”
True Will - The introductory pace of this song is most enticing and gets the foot tapping if not the head banging. The guitars however, have somewhat of a draining sound to them. Much like in the style of doom has. Not throughout mind you, just in the parts where the vocals appear. Because of this, it is much like a rollercoaster of sound. In parts it is energetic and in others quite gloomy. When you read the lyrics as the music plays you get a better feel for it all as opposed to just listening without them. Only then can you truly be a part of it all and understand its direction. Otherwise, you are left somewhat curious as to the reason for the changes. So because of this, I say aesthetically, it does not flow well. I am beginning to view this band as one where you need to be involved in all aspects of them to truly lose yourself completely and immerse yourself in their music in order to get a proper understanding of it all. If you were listening to this song for example on the radio, no lyrics in hand, you might not appreciate them as one could with them. And it is in that one aspect it all fails. But with the lyrics on hand, you can follow and understand and indulge accordingly and thankfully, this CD come with them.
“Dark intent from deeper self, The gloom on the secret face, Desecrate the innocence, Of disfigured humanity...”
Blood Sacrifice - This next track starts out enraged and intense. The double kick drumming is perhaps what makes it so good. It is in all facets brutal and carnivorous. The vocals seem more decipherable in this track. Pace wise, it will keep you embedded in the moshpit. It is lively yet deathly and all things metal as we love. A very good track and it flows effortlessly.
“The scores entombed in black, Abomination of grinding fear, The force into attack, Satanic swords dissect the flesh...”
Invocation - This second last track is an atmospheric instrumental. It bares almost tribal sounds as if we are being led down an aisle toward a large fire.
The Epic Of Erra - With no qualms we are led straight into this last track and it is the longest one on the album at 09:46. It starts out like all the others; intense, brutal. When you hear this music you will think to yourself “this would be an awesome band to see live” and you might just be right! The music is heavy and beefy and would surely pry the pit of your stomach live. At 06:02 the music suddenly stops and makes way for an atmospheric interval. The music fiercely reappears at 07:23. The ending of this piece is quite mesmerising and tends to make you wonder once it’s finally stopped what strange spell you’ve been under. This is a good last track for what has been a good death metal album.
“Anu the King of Gods, Wash down the sins, Let the beasts return to clay, Invoke thy rage with deadly venom...”
In essence, this is a good death metal album. It is filled with a very heavy sound and much in the way of moshpit material. The CD I received is the in-store version and it is well presented in a plastic enclosure with one of those cigarette packet style pulley bits to undo the wrapping. The CD sleeve has all the lyrics, band info and thanks. Some band pictures but no track listing upon it. On the front of the sleeve is some pretty cool artwork; all mythological looking. I can’t state which if any it is. But the imagery is altered with mechanics of war we use today. A very good depiction of what lies within musically. The CD itself bares the logo, some symbolic metallic imagery and track listing. On the very back cover of the CD is the track listing and some recording info. Overall, I think they are definitely worth checking out as they tend to cover most of the boxes; heavy, death, metal! What more can you ask for?
LINKS
Mass Burial Website
Mass Burial Myspace
Mass Burial Facebook
Review by Déa di Morté © 30 April 2011
All pictures and lyrical extracts courtesy of Mass Burial