Maim - Deceased To Exist
In my mind when I think of Sweden and Death Metal, the only thing I think about is the classic sunlight studio sound, a boss HM2 pedal set to max and deep underlying passion for all things rotten. Maim are such a band. Following in the usual four or five forefathers of this genre, the sound is authentic pure and most definitely soul destroying organic in nature. ‘Gravedigger Sacrifice’ opens the carnage and is typically fast paced and to the point, it then slows to a doom ridden death experience in amongst it all that gives the album a sense of atmosphere, as also found on ‘Morbid Desecration’.
Ok, this is not really original neither is it that proficient in terms of musical ability, but once you take this sound on board, you are hooked for life. This is certainly the case with Maim. The sound is raw, riddled with reverb and not forgetting the required element of a certain groove. Some of these modern day retro bands do create a great noise, but lack the heritage and rawness in the sound recording, Maim are stuck in 1990 and what a great year that was! I have not heard their debut album, but if this follow up is anything to go by, that would be next on my list of purchases. Much like fellow countrymen Repugnant or early Autopsy, you get a graveyard experience, but it is all change with the hallowing doom of ‘Crematory’, this really hits you for six. This slower earth shattering experience takes me back to the very early halcyon days of Cathedral, but not forgetting, this is not a doom release, this is killer Swedish Death metal and that is all you really need to know. At just over 32 minutes, this is the perfect duration but I have to inform you that the two stand out tracks are left till last leaving you reeling in pure death metal intoxication.
Maim give a sense of justice to a classic sound and tradition, for a relatively young band, they have learnt their trade well and I for one hope that they gain greater recognition within the scene, the album is not original nor is it modern day fresh, but ‘Deceased to Exist’ satisfies a hunger for rotten death metal from its most classic period and for that reason alone, you should check this out.
Ok, this is not really original neither is it that proficient in terms of musical ability, but once you take this sound on board, you are hooked for life. This is certainly the case with Maim. The sound is raw, riddled with reverb and not forgetting the required element of a certain groove. Some of these modern day retro bands do create a great noise, but lack the heritage and rawness in the sound recording, Maim are stuck in 1990 and what a great year that was! I have not heard their debut album, but if this follow up is anything to go by, that would be next on my list of purchases. Much like fellow countrymen Repugnant or early Autopsy, you get a graveyard experience, but it is all change with the hallowing doom of ‘Crematory’, this really hits you for six. This slower earth shattering experience takes me back to the very early halcyon days of Cathedral, but not forgetting, this is not a doom release, this is killer Swedish Death metal and that is all you really need to know. At just over 32 minutes, this is the perfect duration but I have to inform you that the two stand out tracks are left till last leaving you reeling in pure death metal intoxication.
Maim give a sense of justice to a classic sound and tradition, for a relatively young band, they have learnt their trade well and I for one hope that they gain greater recognition within the scene, the album is not original nor is it modern day fresh, but ‘Deceased to Exist’ satisfies a hunger for rotten death metal from its most classic period and for that reason alone, you should check this out.
- Grave Digger Sacrifice
- Morbid Desecration
- Covet Death
- Evil Smell of Death
- Crematory
- Deceased to Exist
- Purged Through Napalm
- Nuclear Funeral
- Resurrected from Hell
- Screams from the Mutilated
