DEATHMARCHED – Spearhead Of Iron
- Posted on 12-11-2012
3 ex-God Forsaken and Putrid members get together with a new bassist (Esa Pennala) and form a new death metal act Deathmarched. Steeped in the old school movement and traditional sounds, this debut album "Spearhead of Iron" will be an immediate 37 minute rebel rousing effort to those who miss old Death, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx and a twinge of Celtic Frost.
A mostly mid-tempo affair, the jackhammer riff charge begins with "Go War" as Hannu Kujanen’s spiraling guitar work and dive bomb leads keep the feet marching and sure to send audiences scurrying in the pit with passion. Mika Hankaniemi as a growler is one of those in the lower acidic mold- you’ll be able to make out most of what he delivers and he knows how to enunciate and draw out trailing phrases, such as the ones in "Open Fire!" or the menacing grunts for "Sniper". Deathmarched prefer keeping the structures simple and effective- employing the minimal number of riffs and measure changes necessary to get the job done.
The best in this genre aren’t out to impress with shock and awe imagery or the most awesome, thousand notes per eight bar solos and blast beats on the planet. It all comes down to constructing strong riffs and assembling them in a fashion that creates a killer song- and with efforts like the triplet hammer-filled "Death Master" plus the closing doom crusher "Deathmarched" this quartet are off to a tremendous start.
If Hail Of Bullets and Asphyx can still create masterpieces in this death metal decade, then be sure to add "Spearhead of Iron" to your list.