Band: Inevitable End
Title: The Oculus
Label: Relapse Records
Distribution: Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date: May 24th 2011
Review: CD

When I reviewed 2009’s Relapse-debut The Severed Inception (see update March 28th 2009), I wasn’t quite convinced, unfortunately. The album marked a professional band, but the lack of an own identity was rather painful. No negative comments ‘bout their performance, because that was quite all right. So what with The Oculus?
Well, actually we do have the same kind of moshing Death-madness. I just got the impression that the band has gone even wilder – at least it does sound much more punkish and d-beated than before. The accentuation lies on a slightly Tech-Grind-alike approach this time, and not on some noisy mixture of American and Swedish Death Metal. Even though this sonic terror does not renew at all, it sounds more mature and less evident / predictable than before. Result: I think this is their best recording to date.
Oh yes, and what a sound: filthy, sleazy, dingy. Damn yeah, it just fits…
Yet no shit, what about penetrating one’s ears with so much more experiment? Macabre meets Origin? Got a problem with that? I do not…

86/100

Ivan Tibos.