One of the original acts to play death metal in Denmark, Maceration evolved into more of a groove/hardcore-oriented act by the mid-90s before breaking up. They would return in 2021, releasing their second album It Never Ends… in 2022 as a glorious return to their death metal form. Guest vocalist Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Nightingale) has stepped down from that slot (still a part of the mixing / mastering process) leaving Jan Benjamin Jepsen to fill that void on this latest record Serpent Devourment. Continual emphasis on vicious riffs, primal musical interplay, and savage vocals means the band’s intensity for this genre has not waned.
Listeners can expect an equal amount of hard hitting, faster songs as well as those that are more controlled and groove-oriented yet not sacrificing one iota of primitive impact as if these gentlemen time travelled back to the burgeoning early 90’s death movement. Smooth lead breaks that contain the right spine-tingling aspects, drumming that punishes on all fronts, as well as these riffs which rival the best Scandinavian mentors – all topped off by Jan’s possessed growls / screams, where you sit up and take notice. The up and down tremolo parts next to mid-tempo double kick action within “Where Leeches Thrive” or circular divebomb riffs set to stun next to the speed to half-time musical transitions for “Revolt the Tyrant Dream” are two of the many highlights. Lower wind sound effects along with some horror-oriented keyboard work signal the start of the opening title track, taking old Slayer to a pummeling HM-2 driven deadly level, the guitar work of Jacob Schultz and Robert Tengs traversing aspects of thrash and blackened heights next to their steady death dealing ways. Amidst the brutal sections there’s always an underlying ability to inject key melodies or hooks – proving the band aims to create very memorable, distinct material track by track.
Ten songs delivered in a very tidy forty minutes, Serpent Devourment represents for Maceration another album that keeps the old school death platform solidly in place for multiple generations to enjoy. Ideal for those who love early Massacre, Obituary, Grave, and Dismember.