Avernal

In a previous Avernal review, more specifically, the one for Réquiem para los Rebeldes – Necrología Pt I, I said that I see the band as the Argentine Entombed: having started as a pure death metal outfit, it became one of the first (if not the first) Argentine death ‘n roll band after two albums. Avernal had been around since 1993, but it wasn’t until 1997, when most of the bands that helped to shape the Argentine death metal scene had already disbanded or relocated abroad, that their first full-length saw the light of day.

Back then, Avernal was a quite different entity from what it is today. During those times, the band played a sort of death metal that in my ears was highly influenced by Cannibal Corpse and Carcass with some touches in the vein of Suffocation. For the most part, the riffs sound a lot like something that Cannibal Corpse would’ve released back in its Barnes era, but somewhat groovier, while the clean guitars coming in in-between the verses of ''In Extremis I'', as well as some of the melodic solos throughout the album also remind me of Carcass' Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubruos. The chugging sections on several tracks, on the other hand, have a strong Suffocation vibe to them. Towards the end of ''Catalepsia'' there’s a breakdown that is pure Suffocation worship, the riffs, the pinch harmonics, the vocals, everything. I like how they managed to create a really obscure death metal album without trying to sound as brutal as possible. There are some very intense moments, of course, as the short ''Desmembrado en Vida'', clocking in at 0:59 seconds, but for the most part, the songs are mid-paced, with occasional blast-beats and speeding up at certain parts, and even there, they have a very thrashy vibe rather than a death metal-sounding one.

Ultimately, one could take this album as a gathering of all the influences and all the things these guys had been listening to up to that moment, and I have to say that the mixture worked out quite well. One could argue that albums that mix various influences lose all sense of any clear direction, but in this occasion, Avernal nailed it. With a sound clearly resembling the English and American acts previously mentioned, and using elements from other artists, such as the Glenn Benton-like mixture of growls and high-pitched screams, the results are terrific: an album that, though short, has a really obscure aura.

The album is, as I have just said, short, it doesn't even reach the 30 minutes, and it leaves you eager for more. I don’t know if it was because they had a limited budget, because of lack of ideas, or because it had to be this way, but sometimes I wish that it could last a little bit more, that it was longer. The bonus tracks included on the re-release edition, which I happen to own, do little to keep my ears paying attention, and even though the listening time is extended, in the end I’m left with the same sensation. I do have to say that the album’s sound slays and it has a really clear production allowing to clearly hear and distinguish each and every instrument. That bass tone is fucking sweet, just listen to the intro of ''In Extremis II.''

Despite its short duration, Avernal is tremendously effective, a 25-minute piece of pure straight-to-your-face death metal the way it has to be: prioritizing the riff and the song itself over brutality and pointless noodling. Nowadays, this is a very obscure release which shows the most brutal side of the now established band, and it separates those who miss this stage of the band from those in favor of their death ‘n roll sound. I for one love this album, and now that I could finally find a copy of it, it’s been in constant replay, and it’s great. I don’t know if I would call this one their best release ever, but it’s surely one of the candidates. Avernal still had a lot to say.

Originally submitted to http://theforlornson.wordpress.com/