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Tracklist
01. For The Masses
02. When The Dead Walk The Earth
03. You Could Make Me Kill
04. Malicious Intent
05. Rogue State
06. Man To Fall
07. Exorcism
08. Till Fingers Bleed
09. The New Gods
10. La Muerte
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Back in the early to mid-90s, Nuclear Blast was known for two things: having the Relapse Records logo right next to their logo on their releases and putting out quality death metal. When you bought a Nuclear Blast release, most of the time you were getting an excellent death metal release. DISMEMBER, KATAKLYSM, BRUTALITY, HYPOCRICY, and SINISTER were just a few of the death metal juggernauts imprinting their names to the minds of misanthropic youth. One band that did not receive as much attention as the above mentioned, yet can still stand toe-to-toe with the best death metal bands was Holland's, GOREFEST.
Part of the reason for the lack of attention toward these dark Dutchman may have been because after releasing three extreme metal albums ('Mindloss, 'False, and 'Erase') they opted for more of a rock approach with 'Soul Survivor' and 'Chapter 13.' Many fans of the band bought 1996s 'Soul Survivor' then forgot about them. Those same fans who bought the underrated 'False' and 'Erase' albums should once again take notice.
Jan-Chris is back with his BIG bass bringing metal with the force of a sonic boom! 'You Could Make me Kill' highlights Jan-Chris de Koeijer's hard-hitting bass playing style. Every time he slaps his bass, it is like a brisk slap in the face. This album's overall bass sound is akin to a mastodon striding through a cave, and Koeijer could provide the voice to the mastodon's hunter. That is the thing about listening to a GOREFEST album, you know it's GOREFEST the second you hear Koeijer's voice. He has his own distinct style, which defies comparison to other vocalists, especially death metal vocalists. He doesn't growl, he roars.
Koeijer's band mates emulate his hulking style with floor-rumbling guitar notes and snare bashing. Drummer, Ed Warby's double bass sound cuts through the air with the force of a Mack truck on a country road. 'The New Gods' is a fine example of Warby's thundering, double bass roll. Warby doesn't play the jaw-dropping fast blast beats that a Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION) or a Pete Sandoval (MORBID ANGEL) would. He takes more of a fast, thrash metal approach, while adding to the consistent rumble created by his heavy-handed band mates. The slaphappy double bass of 'Malicious Intent' combined with the grinding speed guitar licks, is a signal that it is time to bang your head.
If you are a fan of death metal with a powerful groove, GOREFEST is a band to check out. If you have never bought a GOREFEST album, 'La Muerte' is a good place to start. This album is likely to be in most fans' list of top death metal releases of the year.
Review by: Darren Cowan
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