Monday, January 28, 2013

ILLNATH - 4 Shades Of Me

This is the fourth work of the Danish Death Metal band, coming out about a year or so, after their previous one. The band has the same line up, but this time things have shifted to more aggressive forms, which works very well. If you expect the melodic parts of their previous work, you won't find any, since there are no keyboards or symphonic elements. Instead they have stripped their sound to the core, blending Death, Black and Thrash and creating a very groovy and raw style of Death Metal that is somehow dominated by the excellent vocals of Mona Beck, and the great guitar riffs. Right from the first moment, the band shows their intentions, and creates a rhythm frenzy with some small intermissions, that only work as a small pause for the next chaos assault. The songs are very good, with enough variety in them, and despite the style that somehow limits the options of the band, they find a way to explore enough paths through their music journey. There are enough ideas here, and the band is exploring them to maximum, while a few less good moments that are here and there, where you get the feeling that the music gets repetitive, are not spoiling the fun in any way. Musicwise the band is almost perfect, from the growling-screaming capabilities of Mona, to the excellent guitar riffs and solos, and the tight rhythm section, all members are playing their role perfectly to achieve maximum result. Catchy and raw, with tons of energy, some basic melodies, riffs full of aggression, and vocals brutal enough you won't believe the singer is female, this album has all it takes to become a favorite. So, put this on your preferable player, and prepare yourself for some serious headbanging.  

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