Rabhas - Maelstrom
Rabhas come from Italy and "Maelstrom" is their second full length. The album was digitally released in 2017 by the band. In 2018 Narcoleptica Prod. (Russia) and Envenomed Music (Ukraine) released it on CD.
In "Maelstrom" Rabhas deliver old school death metal with a mediterranean aura. Their main influence is the old Italian death/black metal scene with some references to the old Spanish death metal scene.
Their songs are mostly mid tempo and enshrouded with an occult feeling. The doomier parts strongly resemble the Mortuary Drape ways, especially in how the vocals are positioned. The use of the Italian/Latin language is a plus to the general obscurity the band seems to feel like adding in their sound.
However, I think Rabhas have still way to go. Despite their overall fair attempt and my being fond of their influences, they didn't actually managed to "catch" me this time.
In some of their songs the riffs are very simple, which is of course not bad at all, but they are also not thick enough. I would love to get (and I think the genre requires) a more "huge" guitar sound in albums like this. Also the right groove needs to be really on. I would love this album if produced and preformed the way actually bands like Mortuary Drape, Necromass, Varathron, Asphyx or Necros Christos make it sound especially in their early material; asphyxiatingly occult and necromantically weird. Even a more chaotic and noisy production could have possibly worked.
What I really enjoyed though are the bass intonations that pretty much saved the game here in terms of sound thickness.
The leads wherever used have a sick and swampy touch, but still they need some more work in terms of expression.
The drums sound to me programmed, which is not bad, but they sound also weak in terms again of production. I would like them with more fantasy, more breaks, better fills and rhythmic changes but most of all with a better sound like again as bands like Asphyx do it.
Rabhas work shows they have some nice ideas they just need to work more upon (possibly rehearse more before ending up with a recording of their songs) and I believe they could have made this album better. I think they need to work more as a band and focus on the production of their material. For this time the album for me is a good attempt with an average result.
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In "Maelstrom" Rabhas deliver old school death metal with a mediterranean aura. Their main influence is the old Italian death/black metal scene with some references to the old Spanish death metal scene.
Their songs are mostly mid tempo and enshrouded with an occult feeling. The doomier parts strongly resemble the Mortuary Drape ways, especially in how the vocals are positioned. The use of the Italian/Latin language is a plus to the general obscurity the band seems to feel like adding in their sound.
However, I think Rabhas have still way to go. Despite their overall fair attempt and my being fond of their influences, they didn't actually managed to "catch" me this time.
In some of their songs the riffs are very simple, which is of course not bad at all, but they are also not thick enough. I would love to get (and I think the genre requires) a more "huge" guitar sound in albums like this. Also the right groove needs to be really on. I would love this album if produced and preformed the way actually bands like Mortuary Drape, Necromass, Varathron, Asphyx or Necros Christos make it sound especially in their early material; asphyxiatingly occult and necromantically weird. Even a more chaotic and noisy production could have possibly worked.
What I really enjoyed though are the bass intonations that pretty much saved the game here in terms of sound thickness.
The leads wherever used have a sick and swampy touch, but still they need some more work in terms of expression.
The drums sound to me programmed, which is not bad, but they sound also weak in terms again of production. I would like them with more fantasy, more breaks, better fills and rhythmic changes but most of all with a better sound like again as bands like Asphyx do it.
Rabhas work shows they have some nice ideas they just need to work more upon (possibly rehearse more before ending up with a recording of their songs) and I believe they could have made this album better. I think they need to work more as a band and focus on the production of their material. For this time the album for me is a good attempt with an average result.
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1. Intro
2. Maelstrom
3. Perversione Assassina
4. Nevrotomia
5. Putridamente
6. Effetto Nocebo
7. Visione
8. Rabhas
9. Tenebrae Ad Libitum
2. Maelstrom
3. Perversione Assassina
4. Nevrotomia
5. Putridamente
6. Effetto Nocebo
7. Visione
8. Rabhas
9. Tenebrae Ad Libitum
