Germany has been home to some of the greatest death metal bands over the last three decades, with greats such as the almighty Fleshcrawl and the unstoppable Defeated Sanity, to name a few. There is a new name to add to that list with Demorior and their debut full length release Swamp of Fear. Following three brutal EPs, all released in 2019, the band holds nothing back in their audio assault on all senses here. Tracks such as "A Rotten Creature" and "Hemorrhagic Fever" set the tone of what is to come in spectacular fashion, taking cues from the old school sound of Obituary and Deicide’s specific brand of slow but pummeling heavy brutality. The title track ("Swamp Of Fear" is a crowning achievement in oppressive atmosphere with a spellbinding, haunting lead flowing as screams and guitar solos are everywhere. There is a steady progression of spoken word portions that, combine with the alternating crash and ride progressions behind the kit, do a flawless job of cultivating a sense of menace and dread that is hard to escape from. Unexpectedly hypnotic is a good way to describe many of the positive qualities that can be found on this release. The unshakeable stoicism of many rhythm sections on Swamp of Fear can make you feel entrenched as it refuses to let go. That is not to say that this record does not have its moments of speed and technicality. "From the Walls" is a dynamic and callously cold-blooded cut of ruthlessness that truly unleashes around the halfway mark into a bloodbath of sadistic proportions. All this savage music is beautifully complimented by stellar vocal performances that remind me of Ruben Rosas, melding an evil blend of gut-wrenching lows with ear-piercing highs with flawless execution, the vocalist even manages a cleanly sung portion in a surprising chorus turn during "The Witch" comes out of nowhere but fits magnificently; a real bold choice. Production wise it has that timeless edge to it of sounding like it could have released thirty years ago and yet, still as fresh as ever. Bands like Demorior give me hope for the state of modern death metal. It is not over-produced, nor buried under a mountain of artificial gloss and shine. It is old school death metal straight from the source and this is one album that deserves your attention.
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