This album was listed as Metal Maniacs' Album of the Year for 2010. That coupled with the fact that Denouncement Pyre is a black/thrash/death metal band from Australia finally convinced me that I needed to check them out. After forming in 2003 and releasing a number of demos, EPs, and splits, this is the band's long-awaited full-length debut album. Denouncement Pyre is the project of Decaylust from Hunters Moon and InVotan from Portal and Misery's Omen, more bands that I enjoy quite a bit. So yeah, this thing should be pretty much right up my alley. And of course it is.
Denouncement Pyre definitely has the sound of Aussie "war metal" down. This is dirty and sleazy blackened death that calls to mind Abominator, Bestial Warlust, and non-Aussie groups like Sarcofago and Blasphemy. It is brutal and dark and has some qualities of old school black metal and occult death metal woven in as well. There is also a hint of 1980's era grind boiling just beneath the surface.
The riffs are sinister and grind along throughout the album. It is clear that Decaylust cited a number of influences for his riffing style, including Deicide, Mayhem, and others. Decaylust roars out his vocals with a ferocious snarl and InVotan contributes with some amazingly dexterous drumwork. This is a bleak and hostile album. Just the way I like them.
The Australian "war metal" scene has stagnated in recent years with the dissolutions of Atomizer, Gospel of the Horns, and other groups. Denouncement Pyre breathes new life into the sound and this is one of the best such releases in some time.
Very interesting. Just from the band name, title, and art I'm catching a whiff of a subtle sense of humor at play here--the good kind of irony, where they wholly embrace the metal tropes but can smile at themselves just a little.
ReplyDeleteI think that's pretty common in the Australian scene.
ReplyDeleteI picked up on that a little simply from the name Destroyer 666 (umlauts included). How over the top awesome and simultaneously ironic can you get? That may be my favorite band name ever.
ReplyDeleteI really like that kind of attitude, and I've thought for some time that's the approach I would have if I was running a band instead of a blog. It's the reason I really latched on to Lightning Swords of Death.