Death metal has become so crowded with genre-splitters, tech freaks, and old school imitators that we sometimes forget the taste of the meat and potatoes stuff. It takes a band from Northern Ireland called Rex Shachath to serve that traditional meal up right. You know that whole thing about not over-thinking everything and just going for it? That’s Sepulchral Torment.
Getting to the point then, Sepulchral Torment is a mighty fine EP of right-down-the-middle, song-based traditional death metal of the U.S. variety that rumbles, crunches, and grooves with blood ‘n guts spirit. A little Slayer does work its way into the mix, much like one hears in the work of Vomitory (Swedish yes, but the template is USDM) on the title track. The momentum is kept at a high level right on through to the quick tempo and rapid-fire vocal cadence of closing cut “Statues of Death.”
It’s true; the five proper tracks (the track “Into” is cleverly used as an, um, introduction to the EP) are of FDA (Food and Death Administration) approved quality. In terms of standouts, the title track runs neck-and-neck with the complexly metaphorical (just kidding) “Follow the Bastard Prophet,” which not only feeds the DM hungry with a monstrous chorus rumble and a mid-tempo foray into Cannibal Corpse territory, but also sports one of the better blood-curdling screams I’ve heard in recent Death Metal history (it reappears during “Blind from Birth”).
Yeah, I needed that. On Sepulchral Torment, Rex Shachath pisses all over pretension and just plain gets the job done. Nice one, boys!
