The Asian world is no stranger to brutality, Vomit Remnants, Butcher ABC, Wormrot, Glossectomy, Gorevent, Blunt Force Trauma the list goes on. Quite frankly if you want big Slams and ferocious speed then look no further. The continent is rife with a Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore scene with many a band venturing to Indonesia, Japan and so forth to give the fans what they want. Personally if I ever notice that a Death Metal, Grindcore or other extreme band is from Asia my ears tend to prick up, I find it to be a breeding ground for not only classic but also upcoming talent.
Hailing from Pare Indonesia come Brutal Death Metallers Depraved Murder. The band came into existence in 2011 and have, since their inception bestowed upon us a debut full length album entitled Remnants Of Depravity which was released in 2015. Yet this release fell fairly silent with little hype or exposure, that said it must have reached the right ears eventually as the follow up, of which we talk today is released through Comatose Music. That album is Manifestation and adds a new addition to the labels already bulging roster of classic artists, but can it keep up with the contemporaries or is it just another Brutal Death Metal slog?
There is one word to sum this album up, fast. If you like fast paced Brutal Death Metal in the vein of Decaying Purity or Putridity then this will likely appeal to you. Vocally and instrumentally it fails to exude any new or exciting revelations but what it does do is deliver an expected brief with a good helping of talent, albeit nothing out of the ordinary. Although this is where the album falls flat, there is practically no way to differentiated between songs on this album, essentially it might as well be one long song. I’m not saying I want a ton of experimentation but something different wouldn’t go amiss, the odd Slam or Melodic, even Tech riff would be appreciated.
Excruciate Impulsion and title track Manifestation at least tease some sort of mix up but it never lands, reverting back to speed for the sake of speed within moments and adding to the uneventful flow of average stereotypical Brutal Death Metal. As we continue to move forward the lengthy trudge appears infinite and as the album ends we are left deflated and pondering the reasoning of this records goal. It is always mind boggling to try and imagine why any artist would record such a plain slab of lacklustre content, at least with Slam if the album is average it has a backing of crushing might to fall back on. Where as this level of speedy Death Metal is devoid of any sort of crutch or saviour.
If there were such thing as Ambient Brutal Death Metal then this would be it. By no means is this album bad its sound it’s just so standard. When you speak about genres being flooded and so forth this is the exact sort of band I envisage. It’s music for the sake of it, the equivalent of forming a covers band purely because you just want to make some music. By which I mean there is a lack of drive behind it, tired themes crop up time and time again and add nothing to the essentially audibly illegible cacophony of Manifestation’s entirety.
(4/10 George Caley)
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