The Hour of the Avenger

Here's another band I've known about, but had never before heard their music... German death metallers Revel In Flesh's fifth full-length album 'The Hour of the Avenger' was in a package I got a while ago, and I must say that I am very, very pleased with this purchase. Surely, as is my habit, I heard some of it online, but this beautifully frightening looking digipak CD is a fine item to look at, thank to ghastly artwork by Juanjo Castellano and ripping logo by Mark Riddick. There are also several vinyl editions available, as cassettes. This misses extras, like poster and flag, though.

May I ask, whether you are attracted by heavy and eerie sounds in vein of late 1980s / 1990s Swedish death metal? If your answer is firm "yes", then you are in for a real treat! Another one of 'em... This style is still doing well in many cases, so there's certainly no penury for it. I was hooked on the first proper listen. The album is filled with solid riffs and eerie melodies that haunt you long after the album is over. The rhythm guitar is absolutely sturdy, buzzsawy and crunchy. A Boss Heavy Metal HM-2 pedal was quite possibly utilized. Therefore this has a big Stockholm-death vibe to it. The album sounds like Sunlight Studio, Stockholm, production by Tomas Skogsberg, just made in 21st century.

Melodies play a big part in RIF's sound. They are often done with tremolo picking and thus have some black metal in them at times, vary from ghastly to wistful, from ominous to uncanny, and even beautiful (old Katatonia, no doubt). So, loads of minor chords are heard, and it's nothing short of dramatic. Like reaper's blade slicing through the miasmic mists...

The title opens the album with more black-ish vibes, thanks to sharp melodiousness akin to Unanimated. Definitely a fine influence, since Unanimated aren't doing a lot anyway... It is still very much punching, thanks to the barrage of double kick drumming. Surely, tempos do change from fast thrashing to doomier slowness, letting the music breathe. 'Blood Oath' contains progressing melodies, being one of the better compositions here. 'The Nihilistic Nothingness' is a sullen, groovy piece in vein of Edge Of Sanity or Desultory. Hypocrisy's mid-paced double kick drumming and hefty riffing style are often heard here. However, RIF are storming the past for more, as 'The Nightbreed' sounds like a amalgamation of early Amorphis and more melodic Bolt Thrower. Plainly put, it could be put so that RIF are a fine contender to the throne of their countrymates Fleshcrawl...

The song structures are pretty basic to this kind of death metal. There really are no superbly adventurous or inconceivable turns in the songs, albeit it is redundant of pop music compositions, too. Why change working formulas, though? Because this holds multitude of vibes, it never truly feels like it's same and same.

The vocals consist of two voices; one being low and very powerful, grunting growl, and other more throat-lacerating, shrieky growl, it certainly does remind of Peter Tägtgren Hypocrisy), even though it still is more like him and, say, Amon Amarth's Johan Hegg mixed into one. With heavy-handed riffing, leads and solos are hasty if needed, yet melodious. The drumming is both powerful and varying. The bass guitar provides the backbone, but not much more. Generally, the performances are energetic, vital.

This time the cover song choice is absolutely magnificent: Newer (!!!) Motörhead! I mean 'Orgasmatron's and 'Ace of Spades's covers have been heard about two million times, but 'Rock out' from 2008's 'Motörizer' is a fine, and without a doubt, a surprising pick.

The craving for late 1980s / early 1990s Swedish style death metal has now been quenched... For a moment, at least. I'm so convinced of this album, that the other RIF releases will be ordered. Any fan of such death metal, who already isn't stuffed with constant supply of its kind, should at least give 'The Hour of the Avenger' and the band a try, because both sparkle top quality. This truly is revelling turned into flesh; join the carnival of eternal rotting!

(Originally written for ArchaicMetallurgy.com)