| CD REVIEW Pandemia |
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Band: Pandemia I knew a band called Pandemia, hailing from Argentina (Doom / Gothic / Death Metal), one from Germany (playing heavy Death Metal), a Russian one (Death / Black), as well as a Spanish formation with that very same moniker (brutal Death Metal), yet all of them do not exist anymore. However, there still is an active band called Pandemia, hailing from the Czech Republic. This formation started somewhere half of the nineties, yet besides the release of some demo tapes, the band wasn’t that known outside their home country before the start of the new millennium. The international ‘break through’ started in 2000 with the release of their debut full length, called Spreading The Message (Lost Disciple), followed by Personal Demon (Lost Disciple, 2003) and Riven (Metal Age, 2005). All of them were rather well received by the international press and audience, probably because of the mature compositions and the universal musical approach. And this fourth full length, Feet Of Anger, will fix their status. The album was recorded by Andy Classen, which is a first important element, of course. The professional production (Andy worked with many ‘huge’ bands before, among which Ektomorf, Belphegor, Tankard, Krisiun and hundreds of others) stands as a blood-knuckled fist and it gives the whole a full, powerful sound. Musically, the band succeeds to equal the level of the former album, Riven. More specific it means that Feet Of Anger stands for pretty intense and brutal Death Metal with, as mentioned before, a universal approach. At the same time, Pandemia implements elements from their home country (think: Hypnos, Mortifilia, Krabathor, Death Sentence etc), as well as European (Behemoth, Pestilence, (later) Carcass, Vader) and (both North- and South-) American (Immolation, (early) Death, Executor, Morbid Angel, Krisiun) ones. At the same time it means a shameless lack of originality and I’m afraid it will both please and annoy the audience. And in fact the album isn’t that renewing in comparison to any former release. Don’t get me wrong: the average quality is acceptable and Pandemia may be one of the leading bands from the Czech Death Metal-scene, but in case you’re looking for something ‘different’, then skip this one. But as said before: acceptable and recommendable to fans of any higher mentioned band. Duration: over fifty minutes. Oh yes, Root’s Jiri Valter aka Big Boss appears with guest vocals on Death Symbols, and the album also contains a nice Krabathor-cover, Unnecessary. 77/100 Ivan Tibos. |