RSS Feed


MACABRE DEMISE
Homicidal Parasites

Rebirth The Metal Productions (2015)
Rating: 7/10

Homicidal Parasites is the second full-length offering from German deathsters Macabre Demise. It comes four years after 2011’s debut offering Stench Of Death and spits out 26 minutes of uncompromising old fashioned death-grind.

Thankfully, Macabre Demise (which is all the work of one Andreas Rieger) leans more towards the deathlier side than the grind side. Indeed, the opus offers up a fluid mix of heavy speed and mid-tempo melody, bringing with it routine death metal snarls of murk.

It’s fair to say that the album is over pretty quick and there’s nothing remarkable about the tracks on offer; they are solid and catchy affairs if seemingly no frills by design, at times featuring a hammering drum sound that rattles by with pure aggression, although this rarely seems reflected in the guitar sound. For me, the guitar seems to be the least lethal instrument on show here, but this isn’t necessarily a fault. Instead, the likes of ‘Perverse Torture’ offer up that intriguing marrying of slow, grinding intensity and more methodical death metal.

‘Resurrection Of The Walking Dead’ is Macabre Demise at its heaviest – conjuring up some truly weighty and slimy riffs – but with that quick shift into grindier aspects the band become a different beast. Even then though, the guitar almost refuses to cause harm, while the vocals ooze with zombiefied menace.

Homicidal Parasites is an album that’s easy to listen to and also easy to sum up, and that’s a testament to Rieger and his ability to provide ever-changing structures but never once bamboozle. The guitar is always busy but never resorts to over-complicated flips and tweaks. Instead, there’s a meaty backdrop that is very pleasant to the ear, while the percussion rolls off it smoothly and allows the vocals to do their thing. ‘Blood Inhale’ and ‘Back From The Dead’ prop up the mid-section nicely as solid, death-grind tracks, and ‘Depth Of Horror’ is a pacey exploration featuring some extremely well executed melodies.

It’s a shame the album isn’t longer, because the likes of ‘Zombie Squad’ and the closing ‘Bloodbath’ are pointless, brief exercises to be honest. If you like your death metal to occasional slam and yet often bump and grind though, then this sophomore effort from this impressive one-man band should tickle your fancy. Hopefully, next time round we’ll hear a touch more oomph in that guitar tone which should give us something extra to get our teeth into.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share