Relapse

Covenant. Human. Heartwork. The mention of these album titles will bring back memories of the golden age of death metal, when "Gothenburg" was still just the name of a Swedish town and Hardcore was still confined to its own shitty genre. As a fan of pure death metal, its been a very very long time since I've heard an album that could ever hope to measure up to the three aforementioned classics.

Until now.

Programmed To Consume begins with its beefy title track, a crushing sign of things to come. Abysmal Dawn lays it on thick, assaulting onward with a tornado of wicked riffs that'll level a small town. I honestly haven't heard riffs this good on a death metal album in years. The guitar duo of Charles Elliot and Jamies Boulanger gives it all they've got, laying down a potent chaotic brew. After you've been set up with that first glimpse, Compulsory Resurrection knocks you back down to the floor and Twilight's Fallen keeps you down there. Charles Elliot also does the vocals, alternating between a deep gutteral growl and a desperate shriek.

Everything that the band has dished out so far is but merely a prelude to the true masterpiece of this album: A Remission Of Life. You'll be hard pressed to find another song this whole year that has the nuclear destructive capabilities that the first minute and forty-five seconds that this song possesses. The only way to describe intro is that its WIKKED SIKK. You'll end up having to visit a chiropractor after giving thus tune a few listens. I want this as my ring tone. Someone do that for me please.

The band does give you time to breathe with the Aeon Aomegas instrumental. Intricate arpeggio guitar playing lulls you into a false sense of security and once you've put your guard down, Cease To Comprehend and Walk The Path Of Fire jump out over you and stomps you senseless with its intoxicating yet merciless riffage and savage drum pounding.

In a few years after the dust has settled and all of the hyped death metal albums out these days have deservedly flopped and have been forgotten, Abysmal Dawn will be standing tall with an album that'll stand the test of time.


01. Programmed To Consume
02. Compulsory Resurrection
03. Twilight's Fallen
04. Grotesque Modern Art
05. A Remission Of Life
06. The Descent
07. Aeon Aomegas
08. Cease To Comprehend
09. Walk The Path Of Fire

Score: 9/10