Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Album Review: "Dirges of Elysium" by Incantation

Dirges of Elysium
Today's album review is the latest by Incantion, Dirges of Elysium.

There are few things cooler than an Elysium reference in my book.

Incantation is a long running metal band who have released several albums, demos, and more.

Originally formed in 1989 in Johnstown, PA. Is it really surprising that the town that spawned the original story for Slap Shot would bring us a metal band?

This is one of those many metal bands that have been at it for a very long time but have not received the recognition, like Master. At least today, we can spread some of the good word of Incantation.

Incantation on stage
It is readily apparent that Incantation is not a run of the mill American death metal band, and they certainly don't have a lot in common with the Tampa Bay Death Metallers.

The guitars are thick and full of swagger. Instead of just riffing at the speed of sound, there are slow, lumbering songs which add so much power.

How metal ended up as a track meet I'll never understand. I think most people forget how slow Black Sabbath was when they started...so much power in those riffs.

That's not to say this whole record lumbers because it doesn't. The boys have learned what Metallica tried to teach so many metal bands back in the 80's, if the speed changes, the fast parts sound faster.

When it comes to metal, nearly every riff, no matter how pedestrian, can sound really cool when played at 1,000 miles per hour, but it's a lot harder to make your song pop at a slower speed. There has to be something there.

Though at times, Incantation borrows from bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide, they have their own sound and through practice have perfected their own brand of death metal. This album is a perfect snapshot of that.

Release: 6/24/14
Label: Listenable Records
Genre: Metal, Death Metal
Facebook Link


No comments:

Post a Comment