ALBUM REVIEW: Embrional – Evil Dead

Here I review the self-released, 3rd full length album from Polish Death Metal band Embrional!

1. Ending Up On The Gallows drives right in with Inquisition style groovy riffs, the soaring leads create a haunting dissonance. The rhythm, bass and drums soon joining to begin a forceful funeral march of punishingly doomy Death Metal. Soon the vocals join and the whole pace drops into ferociously grinding Old School mayhem with plenty of killer riffs, melodic flourishes and decimating atmospherics that are just crushing. There are some nice progressive touches that elevate the song into a frantic piece of wretched Death Metal brilliance that is primitively gruesome while being intelligently written. This is going to be a fantastic release judging by this epic opening track.
2. Vileness… fires out more chaotic instrumentals and a grisly attack of the senses filled with pure filthy Death Metal. The music feels really gnarly and old school but with some limited and non-obnoxious but noticeable technical touches that create a pretty unique touch for the music. The marching stampede of blast beats and pummelling riffs is superbly intense with a truly appealing, mesmerisingly heavy soundscape being create that will certainly get everyone headbanging. Elements from bands like Decapitated are used effectively to create a piercingly catchy but volatile feel to the music. The lead guitar work was really gorgeous, soaring through the mix gracefully. Another wonderful song!
3. Inhuman Lusts churns out even more disturbingly intense riffing that is played with total precision along with the epic drum performance. The grisly guttural vocals are absolutely brutal and with some excellent production, songs like this really work to make a violently unnerving soundscape that is also gorgeously written and played. The convulsive pace of the song increases the intensity tenfold for me, each section seemingly surging forward, thrown into existence by its predecessor. The solo was the first full on shred attack from the guitarist and damn it is a good one. Excellent work!
4. Lord Of Skulls opens with cleaner guitars, creating a more bleak vibe that is foreboding in nature. The storming, simplistic but very effective chugging riffs and drums soon fall into place with absolutely crushing execution. Vocals should complement the music, here they really do that with balanced and skilful vocals that are used in the song rather than just dropped over it, something that I am glad they have found the balance of, making songs like this work perfectly. The song was overall quite simplistic but damn heavy and enjoyable regardless. Good stuff.
5. Day Of Damnation grinds out much more brutal material right away with blistering riffs and hammering blast beats that furiously assault you from the onset of the track. Following a much slower paced song with this ferocious attack is certainly a bold move but one that pays off. For me the contrast was an enjoyable and well-considered one with this thrashing violence giving a very exciting and insanely groovy follow up to a slower piece. This track is totally devastating, an absolutely brilliant piece of the album.
6. Endless Curse follows up with more hideously heavy riffs, that are balanced out with some simple yet stunning melodic touches. A well balanced beginning soon cascades into a morbid frenzy of absolutely killer riffs, drums and guttural vocals. The band have a really gorgeous natural groove to the music and the way they write it seems to flow really naturally and just spew out brutality with total precision and drive. The mid section had some really interesting progressive sections that broke the song up nicely. Another certainly headbang worthy track!
7. Abomination flows on from the last song but not in the way that I expected. Warm clean guitars taking the introduction in slowly that build into lively riffs that are so catchy and actually really fun to listen to. The momentum of the piece is absolutely monstrous from the very start with a furious mix of blast beats and crushing hooks coupled with surging melodic touches. This band seem to have it all, songs like this giving a beautifully balanced, varied and gorgeous example of some more modern Death Metal being unique and interesting. Brilliant!
8. Damned By Dogmas is the final track for this unique underground Death Metal album, let’s see how they finish things off… Once again beginning with cleaner guitars, although, this time, coupled with growled vocals and some absolutely incredible drum work. Soon the menacing distorted guitars drive in with rhythmic playing that seems to flow between the heavy sections and go back to clean crawling sections. The lead guitar work was absolutely ferocious with some killer shreds in there. This song has some really cool and unpredictable changes in pace that keeps you on your toes from start to finish and is a really epic way to finish off the album. Astounding work!

This is some killer Death Metal. There is a glorious mix of old school, technical and progressive stuff going on that gives a musically diverse experience filled with intensity and dissonance. A must listen for fans of Death Metal from any era. -8/10