Sickening Horror "When Landscapes Bled Backwards"

Tracklist: 01. Descending The Mind's Abyss 02. An Eerie Aspect Of Us... Drowning 03. The Cold Funeral 04. The Perfect Disease 05. Imprisoned In Apocalypse 06. Forsake My Bleeding 07. Dark One Surreality 08. Virus Detected 09. Filming Our Graves 10. Embrace The Abstract 11. All Perceived Nothing 12. When Landscapes Bled Backwards Release: 2007 Genre: Technical Death Metal URL: www.sickeninghorror.net Label: www.neurotic-records.com

Again some new stuff coming from the Dutch label Neurotic Records and this time it goes really technical as usual again. Ok Sickening Horror is a Technical Death Metal band from Greece. Nile Drummer George Kollias was also a member of the band for a few years. But unfortunately he isn't a part of the band anymore, because he wanted to consecrate all his energy for Nile. But the drums for the album here have been fortunately still played by George Kollias. It won't be easy to find a qualified drummer replacement, because George is an excellent one. In musical view this Greek Death Metal band sounds only incidental like Nile. Sometimes when the band starts blasting and clubbing that could be comparable to Nile a little bit, but that's the only point. But apart from that, Sickening Horror are acting way more progressive and you can't find any oriental styled riffing on this record. That's the reason, why I give some bonus points to the band, because they are not another dumb clone band and they haven't imitated the drummers main band. But yet there are also some experimental elements in their music, but they're more reminding me of bands like Atheist or Martyr (Can). At some parts of the music, the band used industrial samples, which arrange a cold mechanical effect, but at all it's unnecessary. Personally I think the comparison to Martyr suits to the band, even if Sickening Horror are way more brutal. Bass player Ilias Daras is marking the progressive site of the band a lot. This guy did a real awesome job here and he often reminds me of the Quo Vadis/Athereitc bass player Dominic Lapointe. Yeah, finally a band, where the bass has got a stronger dominating position and is standing in the foreground. Many people could have another opinion about that point, but I belong to the species of bass players too, so that's because I really enjoyed it. At all "When Landscapes Bled Backwards" is a positive album, but it didn't impress me that much. In technical view the band is acting in the first class of Technical Death Metal, but the song structures are agonizing too long in progressive realms and a lot of the musical enjoyment gets lost. But that doesn't mean that I'm not open-minded for progressive Death Metal. I really like bands like Cynic or newer Death. But the whole stuff here sounds at some parts totally overwrought and loveless. That's the same problem I have with some Martyr records too. But it's not that I felt like I had vomit in my throat the whole time, while listening to this record. A couple of Songs like "Filming Our Graves", "An Eerie Aspect Of Us... Drowning", "Forsake My Bleeding" or "This Perfect Disease" are really great. Especially when it comes to the fast moments, the band is able to enthrall. Sometimes there are also some parts where every riff fits perfectly to the music and sounds great. But these parts are too rare. Well yes, my expectations were pitched too high and I have been disappointed a little bit. But that's life. Shortly before the end (second last song) the band put a short piano instrumental song on the album. But it wasn't able to leave a positive impression to me. Ok, it's a good idea, but personally I hadn't missed it, if there would be no piano song. With a playtime of only 35 minutes, the band sets no new standards and if you subtract the intro and the small piano song, it's simply too short also. Again, the CD comes with the typical Neurotic Records limited slipscase, but also with an unspectacular cover artwork. I will definitely continue in keeping an eye on the band, because at all the music sounds very professional for the first full length album. But it's still expandable. Ok, the most important things have been said, the sound production is heavy and great. Personally I'm really happy about the amazing growth of the Greek Death Metal scene and I'm anxious to know, which bands will catch my attention in the near future. So if you have some money and you're into bands like Quo Vadis, Atheist or Martyr and you always wanted to know, how they would sound like more in a more brutal and faster way, here is your chance, go and buy it. Personally I will further go on with listening to my new favorite band Ulcerate.

Rating: 79 % | from Gore | Date: 23.09.07 | Time: 22:15	shut down