| CD REVIEW Lifeless |
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Band: Lifeless Ibex Moon Records is a Death Metal label founded by John McEntee (the guy behind bands as Incantation, Immolation, Funerus, Revenant or Mortician, to name but a few), mainly specialised in US-based bands. However, they also signed a contract with Germany’s Lifeless in 2009. This German band consists of former members of Non Divine and it took many years before a first full length could be recorded. Reason: especially job related and internal problems (and therefore some line-up changes). Finally Lifeless could record their self-produced and self-engineered debut, which was mastered by Evocation’s Vesa Kenttäkumpu (note to myself: hurray for the release of the new Evocation-album – check the review section soon). After a chilly and atmospheric intro (intelligently called "Intro"), "Beyond The Threshold Of Death" surprises with the chosen direction. As from the very first riffs on, especially the Swedish old school scene is a sonic fact, on top of any German or American influence. The traditional approach gets perfectly elaborated; the performance is more than acceptable. Because of (or is it: with gratitude to) the full, monumental sound, the heaviness is beyond boundaries, and both the slow and fast parts come with epic, persuasion and pride. This debut has been thought through from beginning to end and therefore Beyond … undoubtedly is one of the strongest debut releases from 2010. These thirty four minutes will please fans of Unleashed, Amon Amarth, Evocation (as mentioned before, yet I can’t help repeating this message: hurray for the release of the new Evocation-album), Grave, Dismember, Entombed and Carnage. Oh yes, the album ends with the Dismember-cover "Casket Garden", a pleasure to listen at (even though the original etc…). 87/100 Ivan Tibos. |
