Cenotaph
Reincarnation In Gorextasy

I believe there's no better way to start this review than by condensing what I am about to say into the most emphatic phrase possible; the best Brutal album of 2007.

Do not think I say something like this without adequate documentation to back it up. Although releases from this year reach excellent levels for technique and songwriting (Ulcerate "Of Fracture And Failure," Beneath The Massacre "Mechanics Of Dysfunction"), this latest work by Cenotaph truly represents the pinnacle. But if we avoid rankings, indissolubly linked to personal opinions, we can objectively note that this is the first album with which Cenotaph achieve excellence. Where the excellent "Puked Genital Purulency" (2001) and the subsequent "Pseudo Verminal Cadaverium" (2004), although endowed with an unmistakable style, did not succeed, "Reincarnation In Gorexstasy" arrives, a CD that shows definite twists in the sound of the five Turks. Don't believe that the "twists" I hinted at are actually "betrayals"; if that were the case, I would not hesitate to denounce them as the most infamous of apostasies.

Our guys do not betray, they simply manage to free themselves from the Byzantine sound (forgive the pun) which, let's be honest, they had become a bit bogged down in, to focus on more direct songwriting but not of inferior value for that. If the particularly disturbing atmosphere of the previous works is slightly sacrificed, it certainly gains in robustness and the ability to engage.

I bought this album absolutely blind, as I did at the beginning of my career as a Brutal fan (those times, now I get emotional...), simply by listening to a song on the band's MySpace; after being petrified by "Human Flesh Wax," I decided that this album had to be mine, so I ordered it from Unmatched Brutality Records, the label for which Cenotaph records, who sent it to me at a bargain price. And then? Then I put it in the stereo and "Horrific Realm Of Gorexstasy" started, and I realized I had made an excellent purchase.

It's hard to make references to other bands that aren't Cenotaph themselves; in many instances, I felt many references to the Germans Despondency, their "God On Acid," to that mixing of typically Slam riffs with more thoughtful and technical ones. The guitars weave between the whistles and typical accords of the most uncompromising Brutal and more thoughtful scales, more technical riffs that enrich the work and remain solid witnesses to the excellent preparation of the two guitarists. The tempos are always quite tense, even if there are slowdowns that not only make the work less monotonous but contribute to engaging the listener. The drummer is always the usual monster; the Blast Beat, never executed long enough to become boring, are interspersed or part of particularly fine counter-times. Usually, I do not appreciate the desire to impress, but even if his exploits are often forced (although never random!), the effect they achieve is to embellish the pieces and enrich them with details perhaps heavy to sustain but of undeniable artistic value. The bass remains very penalized; indeed, there are no breaks, not uncommon in the genre, in which it can show off. But don't feel authorized to think that the production isn't top-notch for this; the sound is indeed mixed very wisely and, paradoxically, very clean. The guitars are distorted enough to be powerful but not so much as to be mushy, and the drum, though not invading the whole field, is always present. The vocals may not enthuse: the growl is snappy and very lasting, but unfortunately quite monotonous, and honestly, the lack of those detestable Screams of the past is felt. What else to say about the compositional phase? I would say the rating and the phrase I said at the outset speak clearly: the songs are written with the experience expected from a band that has reached its fourth Full-Length, with well-bound riffs and, above all, objectively successful.

In short, this LP proves suitable both for those seeking the breakdown and those seeking the technique; whether you feel inclined to listen to their stylish details or simply want to hear eight exquisite tracks of pounding Brutal Death Metal. A prominent characteristic of this work is what the primitive, guttural language of the Homines (maybe) Sapientes Brutalalrensis would express with the phrase "It has an amazing Drive!" (or "It totally Rocks!") which translated means "being rocky, heavy, engaging, and fierce." I know you will mull over the verbose words of this language for hours, so I allow myself to conclude the review with an example from the phraseology of the Brutalese-Italian, Italian-Brutalese dictionary:

"A few weeks ago, I went to a crappy dinner with my former high school mates; there wasn't a damn thing to drink, and I got insanely bored. When I left that shitty pizzeria, I wanted to give a ride home to a classmate of mine, and she refused. I was so pissed off, I got in my car and cranked Cenotaph. The latest has an amazing drive, I ended the evening in total rock mode!"