Lust Of Decay
Kingdom Of Corpses

What does it matter that tomorrow I have to face a tough entrance exam for a restricted faculty? I just formed an opinion about this album, and certainly, Brutal comes before a year of my life... "O Muse, o high insight, now help me..."

Lust Of Decay are very difficult to place temporally since they came into existence in 1996 but didn't release anything until 2000: this means they still feel the influences of the second generation Brutal Death groups (those that exploded in the mid-90s like Cryptopsy, Deeds Of Flesh etc.) but are beginning to look forward like the latest bands. Their style consists of these two inseparable elements, the traditional "mores" of Death Metal and the drive to radicalize the sound typical of this latest period. The standards are not disrupted nor is space reserved for contamination, but the product overall sounds like something absolutely new and exciting.

These five guys are from Carolina, a corner of the United States not particularly famous for its contribution to the extreme metal scene. The topographical reasons and a decidedly adverse destiny (repeated entries and departures of new members) greatly contributed to the band's late debut, which took place on an LP titled "Infesting The Exhumed" only in 2002. "Kingdom Of Corpses" is their second effort and dates back to 2004; compared to the debut, the band shows significant growth and offers fans of the most extreme Brutal Death a true gem. Among the protagonists of this album is certainly an excellent instrumental technique, particularly attributable to a formidable, albeit anonymous, drummer. But the other major player who co-dominates with skill is the impact, worthy of the best works of the best groups from the past. This CD, throughout its duration, prefers to give space to immediate sensations rather than reasoned emotional blows and succeeds in an incomparable way in generating an uncontrollable energy. No strange sophistication, no vast nihilism, just an unstable and angry physicality, a beast locked in a cage and fasting for days.

The little space reserved for sentiment is thus completely compensated by this tendency towards hyperkinesis and instinct, confirmed by an essential yet well-crafted production. Or at least this is the first level of listening. There is indeed a second level of listening; in this album, one can find nourishment both for those seeking the transposition into notes of a destructive rapture and for those wishing to test their ear with extraordinary instrumental performances. Despite what one might imagine upon reading that it is a very vigorous album, the execution is not sacrificed on the altar of power and, with a bit of training, one can discover the hidden wonders of "Kingdom Of Corpses".

The drumming, which at first might seem to carry on what the masters of Death did years ago, turns out to be a mosaic of odd times, accelerations, sudden stops, rare slowdowns: above all, it allows that it is not the pedantic execution of stereotyped times that constitutes the rhythmic section of the ten songs but rather his personal inventions behind the skins, and by saying this I refer to his almost uninterrupted rolls and his swift changes. Naturally, his skill places the burden on his bandmates to live up to it, and it's fair to say, they do not fail; both guitarists blatantly follow the drummer's evolutions with equally complex, varied, and perfectly matching riffing. A different aspect, however, for the bassist, the most progressive of the band, who in two or three instances "lets slip" some breaks with a vague jazz flavor (and I think this says it all about his abilities). Slightly underwhelming but still decent, the performance of the singer; the growling is very enduring and deep but would require more verve and especially more mobility. However, this small flaw is not enough to lower the rating of "Kingdom Of Corpses", an album on par with many others that receive greater recognition.

Lust Of Decay let the world know that Brutal Death is still in good shape and doesn't need much care or refined attention to stand on its own feet and deliver its good dose of sonic violence.