Morpheus Descends - Ritual of Infinity Review

I first have to start of this review by saying how surprised I am how much I have come to enjoy this album. I have always been a more Floridian style US death metal fan. Whilst been unaware of the New York scene for a few years I decided to check it out. I was always put off by reputation as I heard a lot of it was to influence slam death etc. However I barley hear it in this album which is a good thing. Along with other such noteworthy acts as Immolation and Incantation.Morpheus Descends are a part of a pretty fucking powerful tri-force that came from that scene. 


History lesson aside this album coming in at just 32 minutes is a half hour bludgeoning in the art of death metal. The band deliver an arsenal of riffs over the awesome drumming of Ken Faggio. There are thrash infused head banging moments, mid tempo crushing proto type brutal death metal riffs and the odd slow moment on the album. The arrangements all have enough elements to make them interesting and to keep your attention. The production is pretty low end heavy. And loses some clarity of the riffs, the drums kick drum is pretty loud in the mix also. The drumming switches between stock death metal beats and some pretty inventive ideas in terms of feeling and fills. Just listen to the off beat snare work in the opening track. The vocals are good even if they are a bit standard, and are just what you would expect from this scene. However even though they are standard I just can't help loving them and I'm sure most death metal fans will enjoy this vocal performance. 


Ritual of Infinity is a very solid and very brutal 30 minute affair. It has a pretty good reputation with fans of this scene and I can say it is quiet deserved. The highlights for me have to be the opening two track onslaught of The Way of All Flesh. With a pounding brutal opening before going in to mid tempo brutality. Corpse Under Glass with some of the most thrashy riffs of the album on offer. Trephanation for the same reasons, with my favourite riff on the album around the half way point a true neck breaker. As far as getting a hard copy of this it more than likely isn't going to happen. However thanks to file sharing we can all listen to music that was sadly forgotten about and left behind like a lot of good old death metal. 


Ritual of Infinity holds its own against their counterparts from the old New York scene and should be in every death metal fan's music library. 


Score 4/5 


/C

KEEPING METAL FANS HAPPY

Can it be done? The answer is no. If you are in a band be prepared to constantly divide opinions of pretty much all of your fans. You talk to people into this genre about a band and you can say. "What do you think of the new Immolation album?" "Oh Immolation.They still exist? Dawn of Possession is the only thing. That band haven't interested me because they haven't progressed"

However lets say Immolation really did progress the conversation would go something along the lines off.

"What do you think of the new Immolation album?"
"Immolation? They should have stayed the same as they did on Dawn of Possession! That band haven't done anything interesting or death metal since then"

Yep that's pretty much how it goes. Progress and there is backlash. Stay similar and you become stagnant. This is pretty much the mind set of 80% of metal heads.

Granted there are some cases where progression is pretty a code word for selling out. A drastic change in sound from one album to another can be pretty obvious. (Metallica, Morbid Angel I'm talking about you) But you know that's acceptable to go from doing an album like Altars of Madness then whatever that piece of shit album is called. And then you have Metallica which doesn't even need to be mentioned. But look at me I am becoming what I am talking about in this little rant so lets continue.

One thing that really frustrates me as a musician is the views of some fans. For example fans of simple death and grind. Say a band started off like bashing death metal simplistic and doomy riffs. But then progress over time which is the right thing to do. Start having more complex riffs and structures and perhaps even melodic moments (Carcass). Suddenly half the fan base are like "HEY MAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY U NO MAKE REEK OF PUTEFACTION VOLUME 2," However going back to the previous example. If the band had stayed the same it would be more like.

"WHATS UP WITH YOU GUYS NOW THE NEW ALBUM IS JUST STALE AND DIDN'T HAVE THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST TWO!"

Personally as a musician over time you want to make things more musically interesting for yourself over the time playing. This is the sign of a true musician and band in my opinion a one that is wanting to add new things on each album. To make each album a different listening experience. However always staying true to the sound you came from. I think the one band metal fans can unite under who did this is Death.

So what can you do to try and keep fans happy? Try and stick to the sound over time however progress in a correct manner and hope to whatever is beyond this mortal coil that your fanbase are made up of people with an IQ level of over 90.


/C

Random Ramblings

I woke up this morning feeling like death slightly warmed up, and as I struggled (and ultimately failed) to prevent myself hoying up, I began to consider my time spent at gigs over the last few years, and a number of common observations popped up in my mind. Thus, behold my guide to the different people that will be invariably be present at any metal gig that is fairly well attended. PS: If each description is not matched with an image of someone you know or have seen before, that person is you.

Uber Thrash Dude

Despite being only 14 years of age, this kid has fallen straight out of the 1980s Bay Area thrash scene, and carries a style, attitude and accent to match. It is vital that this character exclaims "thrash is back/thrash till death" at pre-determined intervals, is dressed in a stonewash denim vest adorned with patches of bands he has never heard and is wearing tight jeans, a bullet belt and a bandanna. Will be usually spotted outside of the actual venue attempting to drink from a beer bong and doing hilarious things like stealing police cones. Uber Thrash Dude uses words like "radical" and "dude", and does not stop headbanging when the music stops, or throwing horns for that matter.

Scene Kid Girlfriend

With hair as colourful as an open packet of skittles, Scene Kid Girlfriend has found herself at this metal gig through no fault of her own, but has probably fairly innocently come down through devotion to her boyfriend (the one with the snakebites and expanders) or general friendship group. She will have amusing words or slogans written on her hands in permanent marker like "fuck", "<3" or "hey" and will most likely jump around to the music. Fair enough. 

Tough Guy Pit Dominator

He's come for one reason and one reason only, to be the king of the pit, the lord of the mosh, and the god of the grind. Freakishly tall with beer muscles, Tough Guy Pit Dominator jumps into the pit, elbows raised, with the intention of knocking out as many kids as possible. A ridiculous beard is a must along with a shaved head, long camouflage shorts, a vest with "Machine Fucking Head" (or another suitably macho slogan) etched into the back, tribal tattoos and ear expanders. Remembers, he's hard, so avoid like the plague.

Hipster Shortcake

A disease that has been savagely attacking the black metal scene (amongst others) in recent years, metal hipsters are there at the gig for the purposes of musical research, experiencing alternative culture and feeling the "emotion" behind those melancholic guitar harmonies. The Hipster Shortcake (not sure why I added Shortcake into the fray) will be situated towards the back of the hall or at the bar with a growing number of friends, all equally dressed in checky shirts and thick rimmed spectacles. Beards are a necessity, as is a pervading sense of self importance. Bands that meet the approval of the Hipster Shortcake may receive a quiet clap if he is feeling like contributing to the ambient vibes.

Necrochild

The tales of a traumatic upbringing are scrawled onto his face as he enters the hall in isolation, dealing with the rough hand that life has dealt him. An undecipherable long sleeve band shirt caresses his unhealthily skinny frame, and long black greasy hair, loosely tied into a pony tail, hangs over his leather overcoat. Necrochild hates humanity, but is studying an astrophysics degree. University life has not been kind to Necrochild, so he finds cold solace in depressive suicidal black metal and hard drugs.

Professional Sound Analyst

Could be anyone, image is not important, but there always seems to be that one person who finds everything and anything possible to complain about wrong with the sound of professional bands who have been touring for 20+ years. "The bass was too loud" was it? "The vocals were slightly distorted" were they? "There should have been more clarity on the lead tones" should there? Please leave.

A special mention must go to the Man Who Has Just Come Back From Work, and is enjoying himself like the best of them in a suit, with short hair, after a long day of hard graft. Not a negative comment to be made here, this is a person deserving of respect. You know they have seen and done it all, and are showing tremendous levels of ticker to be attending gigs at such inconvenience when the local kids are sitting on Skyrim instead.

So, there we gan. 

/L