Rise to Ruin by Gorefest
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Release date : August 2007
Reviewed by Anthony Morgan
Background information
Review
Background information
Three years following their decision to reform in the summer of 2004, Dutch Death Metal act Gorefest continue their renewed musical passion with 2007's Rise to Ruins. Nine years into their history, Gorefest had elected to throw in the towel during 1998 after a brace of releases. Nuclear Blast's reissue campaign introduced the group's catalogue to a new audience, pairing such efforts as 1993's False and 1995's Erase together in double disc compilation formats. Those Metal fanatics with warm pleasures invested in 2005's comeback album La Muerte had a batch of other material to familiarise themselves with, and festival appearances such as that at Wacken improved their profile. Gorefest Danish producer Tue Madsen lent both production and mixing duties to Rise to Ruin, all done at the producer's Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark.
Review
The unforgiving sticks brutally connect with the skins, the wrists of drummer Ed Warby a glutton for punishment. Relentless thumping determines the pace, which alternates between several gears throughout the course of the songs. However, any occasion which doesn't utilize a pure, unadulterated Metallic assault still retains that vital intensity. The pulsating battlecry soars into electrical bursts, smoothly building the aforementioned intensity with each swift pluck of those menacing chords. It may sound rather strange to most readers, but for this reviewer Gorefest paint dark and brooding shades with each brush stroke. Those shades recall a violent soundtrack fitting as an ominous ode to the real horrors and tragedies which occur during a typical day in the life of a wartorn soldier. Stick a pin at random to any page within your history book, and choose whichever war you wish - whichever it is though, make sure it's long and drawn out like the scream of a dying man.
The prattling drone echoes the cries of a machine gun, mowing down any chance of earthly quiet. Slower midtempo grooves offer a sedate, mellow ambience, evoking isolated thoughts entrenched within a hollow, claustrophobic shell. It signals the imminent arrival of impending doom, and the hallowed return of the crazed, skin thumping mania. Brief eruptions of melodic guitar splashes show the softer elements that Gorefest, ripped from the pages of the Classic Metal tome work. Firmly enmeshed within the song's framework, it illustrates that the group are unwilling to adhere to the standard formula and will utilize any influences they deem interesting. Despite taking a long hiatus which lasted almost six years, this hasn't dampened an obvious penchant for penning strong Death Metal fare. Let's hope this passion continues for some time to come.
