Looks like Italy is the next country to jump on the brutal & technical death metal bandwagon. The Vile Conception is the latest CD from Hour of Penance, another in a strong line of death metal releases from the folks at Unique Leader. This four-piece deserves a lot of credit for putting together a maliciously brutal slab of extreme metal here, ten tracks of power, menace, complexity, and no bullshit. Kick of song "Misconception" starts things off on the right foot, crushing riffs, jackhammer blast beats, and growling vocals smashing into the listener's ear drums, yet despite the ferocity it's a very memorable tune. A similar collision of brutality and catchy riffs happens on subsequent pieces like "Liturgy of Deceivers", "Hideously Conceived", and the monstrous "Drowned in the Abyss of Ignorance", the latter featuring some of the most crushing & complex riffs you will have heard in recent memory. The lead growls of Francesco are quite good, his inhuman bellowing perfectly raging alongside the torpedo-like drum barrage from Mauro, the bubbling bass of Silvano, and the multitude of mammoth riffs courtesy of Giulio. Old school death metal fans will love the raging sounds of "Slavery in a Deaf Decay" and "The Holy Betrayal", while the odd time signatures and frantic rhythms of "From Hate to Suffering" are sure to scratch that itch for prog-metal fans who also like their music on the extreme side.
Though Hour of Penance don't try to take things quite to the extent of acts like Nile, Beneath the Massacre, Origin, Spawn of Possession,Decrepit Birth, or Origin, they come pretty close and easily fit into the space currently occupied by Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, and Suffocation. Throw in some solid production and killer CD artwork, and you have another fine technical death metal release to sink your teeth into.
Track Listing
1. Misconception 04:23
2. Liturgy of Deceivers 02:44
3. Hideously Conceived 03:25
4. Drowned in the Abyss of Ignorance 03:46
5. Absence of Truth 03:09
6. Slavery in a Deaf Decay 02:43
7. The Holy Betrayal 03:15
8. From Hate to Suffering 05:12
9. Conjuration Sworn 04:08
10. Hierarchy of the Fools 03:54
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