Death metal from St. Louis is what you get on the latest from Vampire Mooose. Serenade the Samurai is a non-stop whirlwind of cyber-extreme metal, like some sort of twisted amalgam of Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Napalm Death, and Morbid Angel. Propelled by the insane drum work of Eric Baudendistel, this four piece band rampages their way through eleven grueling numbers here that are technically complex and full of rage and venom. The vocals of Ryan Pulliam, while somewhat one-dimensional, still fit the typical death metal mold as he growls his way through intricate & bludgeoning tracks like the "Seranade The Samuri" and "Pujols", the latter a song that ironically has nothing to do with the Cardinals All-Star first baseman but does contain some pretty twisted religious themed lyrics to go along with its pummeling arrangements. Baudendistel throws in a multitude of tricky fills and rhythms on "Snow Driven Engine", a tasty death metal number that also has no shortage of complex guitar riffery. The drummer again struts his stuff on "Sumatra", a brief Latin-flavored drum solo that shows his all-around versatility, and the whole band tears it up on the intricate and extreme burner "Crown Of Lice". Unfortunately, there's not enough consistency throughout the album, and a few of the songs tend to sound too similar, which is partially due to the static nature of the vocals. The band does have immense talent, and Baudendistel sounds like a star in the making, so it will be interesting to watch this group as they progress. Not sure about the band name though...
Track Listing
1 Portauni
2 Ogdrujuhad
3 1.21 Gigiwatts
4 Seranade The Samuri
5 Pujols
6 Snow Driven Engine
7 Sumatra
8 Monstersgotamoutherfuckinbomb
9 Adrian's Song
10 Crown Of Lice
11 Estaban Was Easten
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