Band: Clean State
Title: Death Angel Factory
Label: Self-production
Distribution:
Release date: December 2008
Review: CD

The small European country Luxembourg isn’t that famous when it comes to extreme Metal. Besides an interesting underground Black Metal scene (think: Seasons Of Frost, Funerarium, Black Candle amongst others) and the gore Grind / Death-formation Fetuxion I don’t know many other names within the scene. But Luxembourg will soon be part of the international scene, thanks to the second album of Clean State (hailing from Differdange / Differdingen / Déifferdeng).
Even though the name of the band isn’t that well-known outside their home country, the band, however, did start in 1994, and they did release a first full length in 2000, which was called Scraping The Barrrel (self-released), besides a few demo tapes. And what’s more, Clean State did play with influential bands such as Pungent Stench, Machine Head, Fall Of Serenity and Biohazard, to name but a few.
The quintet recorded and mixed this album, which lasts for 56:36 minutes, at their home studio, while the mastering was done at the famous Cutting Room Studio. Lyrically, the band deals with mass murderers and serial killers, yet seen from a psychological point of view (which means: no pseudo-biographies this time, nor stupid, infantile clichés with lots of bloody guts, smashed nuts and splattered entrails).
The artwork is splendid. The drawings and paintings, designed / composed by Cédric Unsen, are mysterious, obscure and macabre yet a pleasure to my eyes.
Musically, the band brings a refreshing and interesting mixture of several heavier Metal styles. The very varying songs combine elements from (Half-) Thrash with Death Metal, and the equilibrium between melody and aggression is perfectly balanced. The many tempo- and melody-changes, the oppressing atmosphere, the sometimes unique and, especially, interesting compositions, the fabulous skills / performance, the groovy rhythm and the sublime sound make Dead Angel Factory an outstanding album, which will be adored by fans of a wide Metal-range. Recommended to fans of everything between Lamb Of God, Soilwork, At The Gates, Six Reasons To Kill, The Black Dahlia Murder, All That Remains, Scarpoint, In Flames and others, or open-minded adepts of (modern) Death Metal, (Half-) Thrash, Metalcore, Gothenburg-Metal, Groove or Thrashcore.

87/100

Ivan Tibos.