To Play Death Metal is not a matter of loving the genre, but of loving it and putting the things musically out from your own hearts. And this is a moment of separating the good ones from the others that have nothing to offer. Yes, things are in this way, because it’s not a matter of having talent (that’s worthless unless exercised in the right way), but of having it along personality. And although the quartet
HOMICIDE, from Bangladesh, has potential,
“Minotaur Unleashed” (their first album) shows that they still have to mature their ideas a bit more.
It’s a traditional form of Death Metal heavily influenced by names as
CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE, MONSTROSITY and other traditional Death Metal icons from North American School of the genre. They’re technically good and know what they’re doing, but their songs are lacking a more personal expression. They’re still sounding like other countless acts of the genre, and are locked up the paradigm of the genre. It’s full of energy and aggressive, but they’re not sounding as themselves. The work of
Maamar Huq on the recordings, mixing and mastering is very good, allowing the songs to be fully understood and has the brutal and aggressive sonority that all Death Metal fans expect from an album. Yes, it’s very good, and the set of instrumental tunes are good, indeed.
Of course, songs as
“Into the Primordial Abyss” (very good technical parts from bass guitar and drums),
“Minotaur Unleashed”, “Whipped, Chained, Burned” (these two have good guitar riffs and arrangements),
“Repatriate” and
“God Devourer” (fine contrasts between fast parts and slow moments) are showing a band with talent and potential, but they still have to leave their influences aside. One tip: you can love the bands named above; but when writing songs, think of how to beat them and to take their places in the fans’ hearts.
HOMICIDE is really a promising name, but must take some evolution to make things fit. For now,
“Minotaur Unleashed” is a collection of good ideas, but not a fine release.
Songwriting: 5
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 5
Production: 7