NIHILISM – Apocalyptic Fate
- Posted on 07-01-2020
Great Dane Records have unearthed some pretty damn solid extreme metal releases these last few years and “Apocalyptic Fate” by the French death metal squadron known as Nihilism is no different. This is a rumbling, rotten, and thoroughly old-school record loaded with lethal riffs, morbid atmospheres, and slightly ambiguous lyrics that contain references and nods to more than meets the eye at first glance (i.e. themes and issues both old and new that haunt and plague the world). .
With an emphasis on creepy melodies and an energetic not to mention all-out aggressive take on the aforementioned genre, Nihilism tear through their compositions in a highly confident and determined manner, and the great thing about this offering of theirs is that it is surprisingly catchy all the way through. I tend to use words and phrases ala vile and unholy when reviewing death metal that harkens back to the days of old, and in this case those words totally fucking apply. Deicide, Asphyx, and Morbid Angel (and to a lesser extent Immolation) come to mind here and there, but I think the most important thing to take away from this one is that Nihilism have a firm and proper grasp of how to write metal tunes that are as grotesque as they are memorable. The more technically inclined “The Sin’s Cost” and "A Bunch of Bones" are impressive, but the real highlights are the pulverizing “Slaves of the Sacred Rites” and the deadly title track. The thrash-infested “RIP” is a nicely crafted tune too. If nothing else, make sure you note down those two titles and check those cuts out if you wish to sample the disc and get an idea of what Nihilism are all about.
“Apocalyptic Fate” is a raw and entertaining slab of foul music that ought to thrill all you scummy lovers of pummeling underground death metal out there. Nothing original or innovative as such (and it does lose a bit of steam towards the end) but man, this one generally gets the job done and will smash your face in. Recommended!