Bonesaw - The Illicit Revue
Death metal bands are a pound to a pinch of shit these days. We're flooded with them - some are brutal, some are technical, some are doomy, some are punkish, some are old school and others are just plain rubbish so I was pleasently surprised to find that Bonesaw's newest release is a nice mixture of all of them. Except for the last one... honest.
The Illicit Revue is just... it's death metal, there's no denying it. This is a textbook example of the genre that boasts nothing earth-shattering, but it's well-crafted and employs plenty of varied approaches that keep everything fresh and enjoyable from start to finish. There's lots of atmosphere and a few doomy sections that really complements the speedier stuff in spectacular fashion ('The Illicit Grotesque Revue' stands out here) while still having that groove-laden heaviness that you expect from the genre. Then you have tracks such as 'Riot in the House of Worship' and the cleverly titled 'Instant Classic' are boarderline hardcore punk in their nature and the band has done a brilliant job with their execution, yet despite all of the quality the record does often feel a bit generic. Such is the problem with death and thrash etc. these days, it all starts to sound like 'just another death metal album' once in a while (albeit a very good one) which makes this yet another album that's boring and difficult to write about due to it's consistent quality.
So Bonesaw's latest album is definitely one for everyone to check out, as far as modern death metal goes this is some great stuff so long as you're not expecting anything that pushes the genre's limitations. But sometimes the same old stuff can be a good thing... case in point, Bonesaw's The Illicit Revue. One to look out for.
The Illicit Revue is just... it's death metal, there's no denying it. This is a textbook example of the genre that boasts nothing earth-shattering, but it's well-crafted and employs plenty of varied approaches that keep everything fresh and enjoyable from start to finish. There's lots of atmosphere and a few doomy sections that really complements the speedier stuff in spectacular fashion ('The Illicit Grotesque Revue' stands out here) while still having that groove-laden heaviness that you expect from the genre. Then you have tracks such as 'Riot in the House of Worship' and the cleverly titled 'Instant Classic' are boarderline hardcore punk in their nature and the band has done a brilliant job with their execution, yet despite all of the quality the record does often feel a bit generic. Such is the problem with death and thrash etc. these days, it all starts to sound like 'just another death metal album' once in a while (albeit a very good one) which makes this yet another album that's boring and difficult to write about due to it's consistent quality.
So Bonesaw's latest album is definitely one for everyone to check out, as far as modern death metal goes this is some great stuff so long as you're not expecting anything that pushes the genre's limitations. But sometimes the same old stuff can be a good thing... case in point, Bonesaw's The Illicit Revue. One to look out for.
1. The Forging Of Year Zero
2. Riot In The House Of Worship
3. Grave Insult
4. Instant Classic
5. Crafted Deformity
6. Granite Hell Pt.II
7. The Stench Of Dead Dirty Ass
8. The Illicit Grotesque Revue
9. Satori Pt.I
2. Riot In The House Of Worship
3. Grave Insult
4. Instant Classic
5. Crafted Deformity
6. Granite Hell Pt.II
7. The Stench Of Dead Dirty Ass
8. The Illicit Grotesque Revue
9. Satori Pt.I
