Fratricide

Talk about great progressive or power metal bands long enough and Italy is likely to enter the conversation relatively quickly. Talk about great death metal bands long enough and Italy may enter the conversation when you and your mate decide on what type of food you would like to eat while you continue your conversation. Italy just does not have a great history of death metal bands. Mass Obliteration, looking to be the exception to the rule, calls both the genre and the country home.

The demo, Fractricide, is old-school death metal that really brings nothing new to the genre but has its intriguing moments. Mass Obliteration is sort of a combination of Bolt Thrower and Suffocation. Certainly good company for an aspiring death metal band. The trio makes good use of dynamics varying tempos and most of the leads are solid, but some of the material here also passes by in total lackluster fashion.

Being a self financed album, the production is sufficient, yet a little thicker, grimier sound may have better served the material. Opener "Mashom" is a short, clogged burst of generic riffs with a couple nice bass breaks. The follow-up "The Remains Of Hate" starts down a similar path but slows early and introduces some quality leads before the ripping back half takes hold. The song not only provides some dynamic and melodic anchor points but the riffs are also much more defined. The odd yet interesting lurch of "Nekare" interjects blast beats and tremolo riffs into sections of death metal as the song shifts tempo at random while closer and album highlight "Lathe Biosas" makes a convincing case for the band's potential with its catchy riffs and thrash-y undertones.

Mass Obliteration is certainly capable of crafting quality material. The band must now do it with greater consistency. From what the King has read, Fractricide is an improvement over their previous demo, Abrahamithic Curse (2007), so hopefully the band will continue its upward climb. The material has its moments and the potential is there, but this demo is not quite something to really blow your load over. -3.0/5.0

Originally posted at: http://www.kingcripple.blogspot.com/