‘Cross the gates into my domain’
When England and Ireland collide, when they wrestle it out, rough and tumble their way across the music scene, collecting artefacts, bits and bobs to accentuate and embellish their inventory, it’s time to count the numbers and submit ‘Death’s Toll’ vibrant in the darkest of ways, powered by the mainstays, and accepted by the waifs and strays.
After the hors d’oeuvres that was ‘Time’s Up’ earlier this year, we are now served the main course, superking size sheets at the ready to mop up your deftly extracted innards, on we go.
Death is inevitable; the Grim Reaper has a time allocated for us all, the venue and the methodology are yet to be determined, strap yourselves in my friends, we get front row seats.
Meet the ‘Mental Hedonist’ a bon viveur, voluptuous yet vicious, with a hankering for the good and the gory, keen to slice and dice their way through life.
The fiendishly unforgiving riffs on this record courtesy of an explosive mid-section inhabited by Mick Carrey (Zealot Cult) on lead/rhythm guitar and Lee Cummings (Severe Lacerations) on bass, harbouring the intensity of Strapping Young Lad at full pelt, all metal, in fine fettle. The vocal delivery is deeper, more imposing, the lethal larynx belonging to Kieran Scott (Ashen Crown) summoning us all to face our eventuality, with Andy Whale (Bolt Thrower/ Darkened) on drums they all pull together to fuel the engine that powers this album along.
Black blood as a consequence is necrotic and there is no way back, the river of Acheron beckons, where the Greek Gods offer ‘A Taste Of Ichor’ accept it and it will be your last. The words here are apocryphal; seen yet unseen, known yet unknown, feared yet favoured as the ultimate truth. Our ‘Internal Expansion’ allows us to ‘Revel In The Gore’ root around in the subatomics, inspecting the minutiae, the devil’s in the details my friends.
Experience the maximum dramatic impact; giving more than you’d expect, taking back more than you were willing to give up, upending the contents of your fuselage, and handing them back to you, diminished and unrecognisable. On your way out take a look at the ‘Rearview Guilt’ a ruddy marvellous capture of a time gone by, you cannot rescind once a bullet has been discharged, once time has elapsed, maybe to wallow in what could have been seems to be the only option. The highlight for me throughout is the ardent drumming, passionate and motivated, direct from the quiver to your waiting heart.
Tear out your fingernails and tear out your hair, build a heaven in Hell’s despair.
Azra Pathan
DeathCollector – Death’s Toll out 23rd June via Prosthetic Records