I love Morbid Angel, so do the guys in Azaab (pronounced “aa-zaab” which roughly translates to “cataclysm”). This isn’t a bad thing at all, and they show this love in the form of their debut album Summoning the Cataclysm. Yes, I read their bio, and Morbid Angel, Vader and Decapitated are among the bands mentioned. But let me make this very clear, Azaab are not a cookie cutter version of those bands.

Hailing from Islamabad, Pakistan; they mix middle eastern themes in with the thundering drums and a guitar tone that would make Trey Azagthoth drool blood. “Pandemonium Twilight” starts with a nice acoustic piece before erupting into a controlled, technical death metal lava spill. This is a super fun album to listen to. I banged my head in the car with this album, people stared, and I didn’t give two shits, because its not all furious blast beats and constant double bass; not saying those aren’t there, because when Azaab blast, they blast hard, what I’m saying is that it has a groove about it that permeates the album and lets it breath, nothing is rushed and “Preachers of Hate” is a fine example of this, a mid-paced crusher of a song that really showcases the technical aspect of their sound.

“Carbon Plague” is a nice head down thrasher that rides on a flurry of blasts, it’s followed by personal favorite “A Hollow Pact”, where again the song is allowed to flex its muscles. This is what makes an album enjoyable, an organic and naturally brutal experience.

It isn’t a very long album, each song averaging about four minutes, giving it a runtime of 36.43. However, this isn’t a throwaway album, it’s a middle eastern beatdown of epic proportions. It also isn’t reinventing the Death Metal wheel, although including a slamming cover of “The Empty Throne” by Decapitated doesn’t hurt, either. They wear their love for the 90s on their sleeves, and it shows throughout the nine tracks.

As far as debut records go, this is a solid showing from a hungry band. Possibly my favorite debut of the year, so far. This is recommended for people who are looking for something ripe, not new, but ripe Death Metal from the gorgeous middle east.

[Visit the band's website]

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