9 Dead - 9 Dead

9 Dead’s self-titled 8 song release brings forth some of the most abominable brutal death metal that one’s ears could ever hope to hear. Starting out, we have the ever glorious ambient/ethereal intro which gets you all nice and comfortable; then out of nowhere this diabolic riffage from hell fills your auditory sensors with some of the most demonic sounds conjured this side of the grave. The double bass and blast beats of the drum work hit you like a ton of bricks, and the bass is right there to finish off whatever remains alive from this vicious onslaught. Everything is well orchestrated and presented here, folks, but don’t expect anything innovative or fresh. No, ladies and gentlemen, 9 Dead have decided to go for the totally simplistic brutality approach to this material. It really stands out too. No, it’s not a perfect album as it is lacking a formula all its own, but damn, the sheer indulgent brutality of this release pretty much makes up for what it lacks in being a unique release. Perhaps, that is what makes it unique in its own strange way of doing things.

In any event, I will say that 9 Dead remain true to the blueprint of what true brutal death metal should be. There is no filler and no fucking around. Consider these guys in the same league with bands like Origin, Dying Fetus, Internal Bleeding, Suffocation, Ton, and Despised Icon. Even though I said that this isn’t a perfect album, make no mistake that these guys are really good at what they do. I will stop short at calling them a copy-cat band because, even though we’ve all heard this type of brutality before, I think they have it in them to create something all their own. I see this self-titled effort as them testing the waters to see in what direction to go. I think their next effort will see the band experimenting with their sound a little but keeping the ever-evident brutality at the forefront. As for the vocals, the patterns vary a bit with some being understandable and others not so much, which has the potential to throw the listener off a bit. However, it fits the music as far as that brutality factor goes. Knowing that there is potential for the band, I am excited to see and hear what the band has to offer in the future. Contact the band or Comatose Music for info on this release.

4 / 5 STARS