Decision D
Moratoria
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Let me eat dirt on this one! I reviewed a tape of the unmastered version of "Moratoria" that was - to be honest - crap. The mix was muddy and covered up the creative riffing and layers of doomy vocal tracks. This album (which I'm listening to on a wonderfully high-fidelity c.d.) does have some brilliant moments.
The variation of sound dynamics in tunes like "Slaughterslice Atmosphere" and "Devoted" are what keeps this reviewer listening. The sonics on this disc are like night and day compared to the tape reviewed last issue. Tunes like "Devastation of a Nation" show off the rapid-fire staccato riffing of a speed metal band.
Now that I can hear the songs clearly, I can truly appreciate the diversity and creativity of bringing several unusual influences into the death metal recipe for a bold new flavor. Ever expect to hear operatic (I mean real opera-style falsetto) vocals or Latin percussion and guitar on a death metal album? Check out "Espiritu Santu" and you too will be surprised.
I must now say that I was wrong: This is a good death metal album.