Enthrallment – The Voice of Human Perversity (Rebirth the Metal Productions)
Thursday, 27th February 2014
Bulgaria’s Enthrallment have been pushing their brand of brutal death metal since 1996. Just missing the ‘golden age’ of death metal, you would never know it from what you hear on The Voice of Human Perversity. Harkening back to a time of simpler death metal, when the main goal of the music was to simply pummel the listener and ask questions later, Enthrallment have captured that feeling without sounding too dated, somewhat in part due to a mastering job by James Murphy.
The interesting part of Enthrallment is their hybridization of the early US and European styles on The Voice of Human Perversity. You can hear bits of bands like Obituary, Suffocation, Krisiun, Vader, Morbid Angel, and even God Dethroned. It’s frequently fast and always brutal. There are well written solos, one-dimensional gutteral roars, thundering drums (even with that light ‘90s feel), and it is all done with death metal 101 written all over it.
Despite the influences worn on Enthrallment’s sleeves, it’s hard to really discern track from track here. It’s all well played for what it is, but even with the short song and album length, nothing holds any interest for repeated plays. Part of the problem is just how rigid it feels; it’s like a mix of all of the various bands described above and little else. It’s pretty emotionless and clinical overall, and while death metal and feelings aren’t exactly terms that go hand in hand, when you listen to brutal death metal, you want to feel that urge to throw the nearest chair through the window and scoff at the world for making such weak glassware, not shrug your shoulders and think, “that was a pretty good riff.”
Ultimately, one’s allegiance to the book of death metal will determine the enjoyment level to be found here. It’s easy to shut off your brain and enjoy the ride, but the fact remains that you have heard this album before, executed with a bit more originality. There are already far too many stronger albums released this year to give this one a simple “pass” and pat on the back.
