The French combo known as Lords of the Cemetery offer furious and violent black/death metal with intricate song structures and somewhat dissonant melodies to it. In fact, these guys bring to mind such legendary and pioneering acts as Nocturnus, Morbid Angel, Dissection, and Sacramentum, which is pretty damn cool. The arrangements are both clever and creative while the solid musicianship indicates that Lords of the Cemetery are quite skilled dudes and that they know their way around their instruments. Having said that, the record’s production is neither all that punchy nor powerful, which is a shame as "Path of Damara" could have sounded so much more massive and overwhelmingly oppressive with a heavier and more dynamic production to it. The drums also have a tendency to sound a bit subdued and clinical now and then. On top of that, this 7-track opus lacks originality and can hardly be labeled innovative or groundbreaking, which is not a huge deal as such given that the majority of songs on the album are memorable, but I do wish that any future recordings by the band will see them attain a stronger musical identity and a sound and atmosphere that are more of their own in a sense. Then again, how can one deny the gloriously evil vibe of tracks such as "Le Supplice Du Feu", the strangely catchy "The Obscurantist", and the title track with their big twisted riffs and highly effective keyboards? There are definitely musical qualities to be discovered within Lords of the Cemetery’s unsettling sphere.

"Path of Damara" may not be as challenging, intense, or thrilling as some of the masterpieces by aforementioned acts such as Dissection and Morbid Angel are, but fans of black/death metal with progressive nuances to it will undoubtedly dig this neat 32-minute release.

 

https://lordsofthecemetery.bandcamp.com/