CD REVIEW: DEATH PENALTY – Death Penalty
Label: Rise Above Records
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur
A bands name and album cover can be misleading. This is true of the debut release from the Rise Above artist Death Penalty. These are heavy riffs, but other than some song titles, I don’t get a death vibe from this group. The instrumental “Grotesque Horizon” opens the disc and makes way for the rest of the disc. “Howling At The Throne Of Decadence” brings a cool set of riffs courtesy of band founder Gaz Jennings, along with a breakneck tempo that keeps the head banging from opening note to last. The vocals are well suited to the track and give you the motivation to listen to the rest of the disc. “Golden Tides” comes along and gives us chugging guitars and a heavy bass line from Raf Meukens that anchors the track while the vocals soar and take the song to new heights. “Children Of The Night” is another great track that features a heavy groove and moody tempo. The vocals supplied by Michelle Nocon, while tempered and moderate, blend well with the guitars and help this track stand out. “She Is A Witch” opens with a cool drum intro played by Fredrik ‘Cozy’ Cosemans that reminds me of Kiss’ “Do You Love Me” but soon morphs into a cool metal riff that chugs and sputters through the track.
“Eyes Of The Heretic” is a bit lighter than most of the tracks on this disc, but not to any detriment of the collection. This song, while a bit lighter in the riffs is still a moody rocker when the vocals kick in. “Into The Ivory Frost” has a lot of elements of 80’s rock and woven through it that complement the heavier groove of the verse and vocals. The drums are prominent in the mix and add a little depth to the track. “The One That Dwells” is the most diverse track on the disc and gives the set a little more dimension and allows the band to spread their wings a little as the song moves between ethereal verses and heavy groove laden choruses and bridges. “Immortal By Your Hand” has a cool guitar riff from Jennings that opens the track and sets the tempo and mood of the track from the onset. The drums and bass kick in and the metal is moving full speed ahead. Once the vocals join the mix, the song takes off and really gives the disc another great track. “Written By The Insane” closes the disc while showcasing the different tempos, grooves, and textures of the other tracks all wrapped into a cool 8-minute package. This song really allows Nocon’s vocals to shine and move from one style of singing to another while helping demonstrate the singer’s vocal range a bit as well.
http://www.riseaboverecords.com/artists/riseaboveartists/deathpenalty
Some other stuff you might dig
Category: CD Reviews