As you can probably tell by that very bizarre & horrific cover art, Death Mask, the latest release from Chicago's sludge/nihilistic metal outfit Lord Mantis, is a nightmarish journey into hate filled extreme music. From the opening 8-minute onslaught that is "Body Choke", the endless barrage of crushing, bottom heavy riffs, pulverizing rhythms, and howling, screaming vocals, just never ceases and seems intent on bashing your skull till not a shred of brain matter is left intact. "Possession Prayer" surprisingly has some groove to go along with the massive riffs, while "Negative Birth" fluctuates between hypnotic sludge and raging black metal violence. Though "Coil" travels in somewhat safe doom/stoner waters, the epic closer "Three Crosses" shows what this band is all about, as venomous screams stab at the listener over a mix of sludge/post rock chords, speedy black metal riffing, and plodding rhythms. This one has atmosphere as well as rage, which is kind of how Lord Mantis approach their music, not letting the listener settle into any sort of comfort zone before they stab you in the back with something completely different. Death Mask certainly isn't an easy listen, and won't be for everyone, but as a piece of work that pushes the boundaries of extreme music, it's easy to recommend to those with an open mind & ear.
Track Listing
1) Body Choke
2) Death Mask
3) Possession Prayer
4) You Will Gag For the Fix
5) Negative Birth
6) Coil
7) Three Crosses
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