Band: Psalm

Title: Manifest

Label: Genet Records

Distribution: Genet Records - Suburban

Release date:

Review: MCD

Psalm, hailing from Brussels, Belgium, is one of those bands that are underestimated. Yet that is about to change! After a self-titled EP in 2004 and a full length in 2006, Manifest is their newest piece of extremity. Due to some line-up changes, the band did grow, yet it is remarkable that, in spite of those line-up changes, the compositions and the performance seems more firm than before. Manifest, having duration of about twenty five minutes, was recorded at the famous CCR Studio with Kris Belaen, and in a way this defines the pretty rough and un-polished sound. The six rhythmic and up-tempo songs are built around a Black Metal base with elements from (modern) Thrash, Post-Black and groovy Death Metal. You might think Psalm are another band in that specific genre, yet this band does certainly have its own opinion of how to compose brutal yet melodic material. Sometimes it reminds me to some raw mixture of, for example, Keep Of Kalessin, Behemoth, Vesania, Morbid Angel, Panchrysia or Satyricon, flavoured with elements from Pantera, Lamb Of God and early Coroner, yet never this bands sounds like a cheap copycat. Every track is pretty refreshing, filled with unusual elements, many tempo-changes and well-thought structures, and one might consider Manifest a gargantuan and somewhat eccentric epos.

87/100

Ivan Tibos.