Revel in Flesh - The Hour of the Avenger

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Death Metal was born early in the 80’s by the hands of European names as VENOM (the genre earliest influence), HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST, DESTRUCTION, SODOM, KREATOR, DEATH and some others (sorry, but POSSESSED is important as well, but not a creator in the deeper sense). But as the 90’s came, USA and Sweden took over the genre to the point that many Schools became hidden. And the things are in a way that bands from many different countries took influences from North American and Swedish schools, what doesn’t mean that it’s not right. Just take a listening to “The Hour of the Avenger”, the latest release from the German quintet REVEL IN FLESH, to understand these words.

The band’s musical work is really influences by Swedish Death Metal school, in names as ENTOMBED, EDGE OF SANITY and AT THE GATES, because even sounding brutal to the point of turning rocks into dust, but bearing some melodic lines to guide their musical arrangements (as can be heard clearly on guitar riffs and solos). So it can be said as a mix between Old School Death Metal with some influences from earlier Melodic Death Metal, and it’s really great! The quintet hired the Death Metal master Dan Swanö to mix and master “The Hour of the Avenger”, and he did a great work, indeed. By mixing the aggressiveness from the 90’s (that comes from the wise choice done for the instrumental tunes) with a great level of sound clarity, everything sounds brutal and oppressive, but in a way that everyone can understand what’s being played.

The bone smashing tempos of “The Hour of the Avenger” (where the Swedish Death Metal influence is clear, especially on the guitars) and of “My Trial”, the mix between musical violence with melodic structures shown on “The Nihilistic Nothingness” (great guitar riffs and grunts), the slow and oppressive approach used on “Sky Burial” (very good and solid insight of bass guitar and drums), the explicit musical brutality unleashed on “Deathblow”, the fine mix between solid tempos and charming guitars on “The Wayfarer”, and their version for MOTÖRHEAD’s “Rock Out” (this uncompromised and dirty Rock ‘n’ Roll hymn fits on the band’s musical view, indeed). “The Hour of the Avenger” is a very good album, indeed, and deserves to be heard at full volume. REVEL IN FLESH deserves it for sure!

Musicianship: 8
Songwriting: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 9