SOULBURN – The Suffocating Darkness

For those who worship at the altar of Asphyx, a new Soulburn release should come quite pleasing to the ears. The last Soulburn album from 1998 "Feeding on Angels" can be considered an Asphyx release due to the circumstances sourounding Asphyx at the time. Now some 16 years later the world can withness the second Soulburn relase (this time with only two former Asphyx members) and I must admit my hopes where pretty high for a nice and brutal follow up to the formidable 98 release.

First impression of "The Suffocating Darkness" was sadly an let down. Maybe I was hoping for something unrealistical when I looked at the Soulburn logo knowing that Wannes still does his Pentacle band full force in 2014.
The sound is there but the vocals is not fitting the Soulburn (and if you like it or not, Asphyx) moniker. It´s just sounding odd compared to the expectations and I may need some more time with the album to let it sink in. It´s to sharp and black metal sounding but not in a bad way, just not the expected way.

"The Suffocating Darkness" does not hold back on brutal riffing and intensity to match. The songs and arrangements work out fine with no clear fillers in between. The nine songs (not counting intro/outro) are all well written death metal music that is delivered with finesse and soul. The pace is warying some but it´s clearly inside the boundry the music´s description, old school death metal.

Soulburn have released a nice "comeback" album that may grow on me but for now, my impression after 5 spins is that the vocal should be a little darker/deeper (the way we know and love).