Finnish death dealers Assatur have compiled a rather foul and grimy slab of ugly metal and unleashed it via Great Dane Records, and if you consider yourself a fan of old-school death metal ala Autopsy, Grotesque, and Morbid Angel (the first couple of records), this one might just do the trick for you.

With an emphasis on dark and twisted riffs as well as raw vocals and a suitably unholy aura, Assatur will make you believe that the year is 1991 and that you are lost in a maze of rotten flesh and livid nightmares. These guys are definitely not out there to change or in any way revise what we all associate with the legendary bands and albums of old that helped shape (or singlehandedly carved out) the death metal landscape. Rather, these depraved fuckers revel in sinister melodies and Lovecraftian atmospheres, and the entire affair even has a subtle sense of groove to it that adds drive and momentum to the tunes. In short, there is nothing new or original to "Where Chaos Reigned", but the compositions are memorable and there is plenty of potential to these recordings, so it will be interesting to hear and see what Assatur will come up with in the future and whether or not they will manage to attain a more prominent sense of musical identity that they can rightfully call their own.  

Given that this is a compilation containing 3 different releases (and 12 cuts in total), the quality between the tracks varies, but only slightly, and there is some real solid songwriting and a good dose of wicked hooks to this underground opus. Overall, this is an enjoyable listen if one is in the mood for something morbid, and filthy hymns such as "To the Foul Lake", "The Gate", and "All Consuming Plague" are noteworthy and deserve praise. Assatur also get an extra point for their caustic guitar solos. This cool-looking digipak is limited to a mere 500 copies, so make sure you get your crippled hands on a copy before it is too late.

 

https://assatur.bandcamp.com/