Memoriam: Requiem for Mankind (2019)

Memoriam is the band created by former members of Bolt Thrower formed as a tribute to former drummer Martin Kearns.  The band has now released three albums and the cover art on all three releases seems to tell some sort of story.   The band has been reasonably well-received, though there are a lot of Bolt Thrower fans out there that do not seem taken with the band.  I have never quite understood that.

The major criticism of Memoriam seems to be the mid-paced riffing style that the band seems to get locked into at times, instead of the more dynamic style of Bolt Thrower.  That seems to have fallen by the wayside with this release.  This is the kind of album fans have really been waiting for since the announcement of the formation of this new group.  The band does a fantastic job of recapturing the spirit and aggression of the old band.

The improvement is evident from the very beginning of opening track "Shell Shock", which would have fit in well on Those Once Loyal.  The riffs are melodic and aggressive and even Karl Willetts's vocals have improved, after being somewhat lackluster on the previous two albums.  That intensity continues throughout the album, with highlights being "Undefeated", "Refuse to be Led" and the title track.

I am a big fan of Memoriam personally.  Obviously they will never truly be able to get out of the shadow of Bolt Thrower and will likely never eclipse the best albums by the legendary forebears, but Memoriam is quite good in their own right.  And this is their best album so far.