There seems to an a retro movement going on in the world of death metal with artists taking this extreme metal genre back to its roots – for instance, you have veterans like Necrophagia and Goreophobia taking death metal back to its thrash metal roots, while old school Swedish death metal also seems to be returning to the limelight. And then there is a host of newer bands who embrace the early 90s incarnation of death metal, and among these we find Burning Caskets and their debut release To Burn a False Prophet.
Burning Caskets style themselves as an emo-bashing death metal band, and – judging from the lyrics – they are also a Jesus-hating death metal (emo-bashing and Jesus-hating... it does not get much more metal than that). The tracks on To Burn a False Prophet are pure old school death metal tunes, most of which are groovy heavy to mid paced with crushing guitar riffs and just as many thrash metal influences and death metal influences. Apart from a crisp and modern-sounding production, you will not find many modern elements on this release; even the blastbeats are kept old school and are more akin to Mike Smith's style of blasting. The sheer heaviness of the primarily mid-paced tracks is very headbanging- and moshing-inspiring, and I would be lying if I said that I did not like this awesome old school release.
While I really like Burning Casket's own tracks on the album, their cover version of Megadeth's 'Wake Up Dead' does not sit that well with me because of the growled vocals which just do not suit that song very well. Speaking of the vocals, I really like how Burning Caskets employ both guttural death grunts and more sewer-like Obituary-esque scream-growls in their own tracks.
To Burn a False Prophet is a very well put together release, and the band delivers solid, evil old school death metal which can easily compete with the authentic old school death metal that came out in the early 90s. Fans of Bolt Thrower, Obituary, Morta Skuld, Suffocation and other old school death metal bands are likely to enjoy Burning Caskets' debut release.
Track Listing:
1. Kill the Pacifist
2. Mockery
3. Covenant of Hate
4. Resurrection of Filth
5. Sexually Tortured
6. Prophecies of a Blackened Sun
7. Wake Up Dead (Megadeth cover)
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