« The Art of Terror »
Self Released/Independent
2014
Emerging from the cold, dark depths of the Montreal underground, PALLOR MORTIS are set to unleash their debut full length record, « The Art of Terror« . Brimming with traditional Death Metal malice, the group professes a kindred link to Morbid Angel’s early sound and the assessment isn’t too far off. From their first self-titled EP in 2011, the band has grown to singularly capture the rabid energy and technical prowess to satiate fans of Floridian Death Metal and even a little Behemoth. Bookmarked between an ambient intro and outro, the album sets in motion hyper vicious riffs with militant strife, very similar to what the Polish lads are doing right now, especially on « Vengeance Basks in Vestiges of the Past« .
From there, the songs vary in degree from stop and go rhythms and blast beats in « As Man Behold its Scorching » to a deliberate crunch on « To Sever; the Art of Terror » and « The Chthonian Pyre of Salem« . Meanwhile, album highlight, « Gorged Flesh Adorned Their Shores« , features a stunning bass line scale accompanied by an infectious main riff; technical but not over done. Deep, husky guttural vocals lead the music in lyrical anguish as vocalist, Vince O’Leary relays tales of torture, agony and enslavement in very well written passages that visually set the tone for the album’s concept. Notable too is the soundscape of ocean waves hitting the shore in the instrumental, « Fretum« , a perfect interlude that breaks the barrage of chaos, nicely.
With a debut that will quickly garner the band some significant attention for the songwriting alone, the sound of the record may be on the thin side. With brutal Death Metal priding itself on heaviness, « The Art of Terror » sounds very well produced, but somewhat crisp and « unfeeling », lacking in some bottom end. The musicianship is clearly present and the structures are enough to raise many eyebrows, but the final sound needs a bit more « snarl ». That being said, PALLOR MORTIS certainly have an album that’s worthy of repeated listens and for a debut, heads will bang!
Standout Tracks: « To Sever; the Art of Terror« , « Gorged Flesh Adorned Their Shores« , « The Chthonian Pyre of Salem »
8/10
Chris
