Wow! If this band's last release made them a band to look for in the future, the future is now. This cd rips!
The first thing that you'll notice about Inversion are the guitars. Deep, heavy, and wonderful, the sound has come a long way from Tarsus Burning. Just listen to "Defilement" or "Blood from...", 2 tracks from their old EP that got re-recorded and put on, and they sound so much bigger with good production. Anyway the guitars lay the foundation for what Inversion has made themselves -- brutal. Not overly technical, not all singy and weepy (well, they sing a little, but not enough to get in the way), just brutal, devastating American death metal. From the harmonic squeals of "Sex with Death" to the blasts in "If not Emasculated" to the fat groove of "Independence", this disc just pounds at you for nearly an hour without any regard for what your parents would think. Fantastic.
Just a couple other things that need to be mentioned -- quite a bit has been made of Dave Campbell (Death List/Obliteration) doing the drums for this album, and although they're played very very well, if you come in looking for his trademark superhuman double bass to be showcased as in his old bands, you'll be sorely disappointed. I don't know if he's trying to leave center stage for the permanent members or what, but don't expect a drum showcase here. They're good, just not showy. Also, the tracks from Tarsus Burning that weren't re-recorded and put on the track listing have still been tossed on as hidden tracks, and I honestly wish they hadn't. While "Night Falls" still rules, the other 2 don't, and when the poor production is exacerbated by throwing them right along with the new stuff, they really sound pretty poor.
Anyway, it all boils down to this is still not Crimson Thorn, but an excellent release from a band that we can no longer think of as an "up and comer", because the fact is Inversion has arrived.
8.5/10
Other coverage for this album
Art for the Ears 2001Reviewed by Marco PovervestBrutal. That's the first word to come up in my brain when the first notes and beats are unleashed. Inversion from California dishes up some real extreme death metal with blast beats and deep grunts. The grunts sound like singer Jaïrus is breathing in while vocalizing rather than breathing out. It's one thing to make extreme music but the challenge is to make it digestible, not a pile of rubbish.…HM Magazine #86Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt"Scary-core" is how a friend described this to me. Nice 'n' heavy guitars, speed everywhere, deathy vocals, creative elements, and a mix of doom, black, and death metal. The Nature Of Depravity is an 18-song onslaught that will make you feel like you've been beaten for an hour (or maybe a scorched soul like that featured on the full-color picture disc). Metalheads must get this.Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by sesspoolFrom the first track, the classic aggressive death comes through your speakers and into your face. The first thing i noticed in this cd was actually the drums. There were blast beats and double bass stressing my cones. The second thing i noticed was the lack of treble. since this is a pre-release and not the actual release, i hope they fix the slight mixing details. This album rules! Death metal…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by D_ListerI do fully believe that blast beats are a lost art...one with which only a few bands ever seem to revisit these days, and if so it's only in extremely short bursts and usually in just a song or two. Well hats off to Dave Campbell (Death List/Obliteration/Sickened) who steps in to handle the drum tracks of this the new Inversion album. I must admit I didn't like their first EP Tarsus Burning...at…Similar sounding releases
1998Death ListSevered
1999ParamaeciumA Time to Mourn
1998Die VersionVictimized
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