I just scored a copy of this rare CD, one of the many issued by the very, very disreputable JL America label. This label generally issued some pretty poor quality stuff, but this and the debut CD by New York state death metal institution Morpheus Descends are exceptions to that rule. Musically we're not in groundbreaking waters here, but the band did have something of a sound of their own. The vocals, which vary between harsh rasps and deeper growls remind me a lot of Carcass, and at times, the riffs do as well. Morbid Angel is probably the main touchstone for the band, but songs like "No Second Chance" have enough good ideas flowing through them that they stand up quite well on their own. And come on...they're from home state and even have a cynical homage on this CD to boot titled "Welcome To New Jersey." The production is remarkably strong to, the band being blessed with a producer who recognized the band had a good bass player, and boosted him up in the mix. JL is now out of business, and the prospect of reissues is highly unlikely. So if you find a copy of this, Mortuary's BLACKENED IMAGES, Morpheus Descends' RITUAL OF INFINITY, or Deteriorate's ROTTING IN HELL, you gotta do what you can to grab them. You may never see them again.
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| King Fowley (Deceased) and Tom Stevens (Nokturnel) |
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