One thing I listen for in a new band is authenticity. By this I mean, could this band be heard by a non-Christian and gain their respect? Do they have the sound without mimicking someone else? Ten or fifteen years ago a new band would quite often be hyped up as sounding like such-and-such a secular band. We were continuously disappointed and often ridiculed by non-Christians for wimpy or copycat music. Well, things are different these days and both Christian bands and Christian labels are making some viable music. All this to tell you that I think Ethereal Scourge can join my list of authentic bands.
ES first appeared--to my knowledge--on the Australian Metal Compilation 2: Music To Raise The Dead. I was impressed with them there. But what is on this disc is far superior to those original four tracks. For one thing, the musical clarity is phenomenal. This is a tremendous plus. You can distinguish each of the instruments and understand the vocals. The vocals, by the way, are less guttural and more of a raspy scream. It is inevitable that many will compare this disc to Sepultura or Pantera, but really it is only in the vocal category that any true similarity exists. Perhaps track #7 "Hecatombs" will lend to this comparison. But the style of music here is more of a progressive Death Metal than the tribal sound of Sepultura (though the first track, "Through The Water" does have a tribal sound).
ES has also started off right by observing something that many bands never learn: dynamics! There are moments of intense power on this disc, but there are also quiet acoustic interludes, and at other times the bass and the drums play by themselves. So, instead of just a barrage of heavy riffs and screaming vocals, ES balances themselves with a few lucid moments of musicality.
One final thing, the lyrics on this album are quite good. They also bear the mark of authenticity that I look for. Many of the lyrics are worshipful in nature, much like Living Sacrifice's Non-Existent album. They are of the same nature but contrast greatly with lyrics from black metal bands. I have listened to this disc at least once a day for two months now, if that tells you anything.