Live Burial- Forced Back to Life

After witnessing the energy of this project on stage many times I have been looking forward to getting my hands on this album as soon as they mentioned its recording. Live Burial from Newcastle Upon Tyne, England is the UK’s answer for the general lack of straight up, decent old school death metal in the scene in recent years. If you like it rotten, screaming and covered in slime this is a must have for your listening pleasure. It was released by Dunkelheit Productions last month and recorded in First Avenue Studios.

On it goes.

A dreamy and slightly creepy intro track called Screams from the Morgue sets the tone perfectly for what is to come, a strange other-worldliness, beautiful yet surreal. The decomposing realm of Live Burial has opened its doors.

Track two is the title track of the album, introduced with an amazing gut wrenching riff before launching into a fast paced sludge assault of horror and adrenaline. The original riff becomes a welcomed friend in this ever changing torrent of sounds with Brown’s vocals screeching above it all, like the pained, resurrected dead.

A few seconds to recover before Age of Oblivion begins and wastes no time in pounding straight in with a continuous wall of sound before falling into an insane thrash groove at 0.56. A ripping guitar solo and sludgey bass solo fool us into believing that the surge has ended but then a second assault begins before treating us to another incredible solo and the tracks conclusion, showing off the capabilities of this project.

A stunning guitar tone and bass line begins Sleep Paralysis (complete with a scream). The force and energy of this album, which is still in full swing, is quite impressive. I’m loving the slower section at 1.35 which gives the mind a chance to digest what it has just experienced before introducing an incredible harmony at 2.03, merging into another solo and then heading straight into another section of head banging groove and then another solo, all in the space of a few seconds! Completely seamless. Stunning.

Beyond Death is next up, starting with the eerie bass of Anderson and splattering of drums by Henderson. The momentary pause gives a slight sense of anxiety as you await what is to come. You’re thrown back into the fray and tossed about by another collection of phrases and the relentlessness and intricate drum patterns before another shining riff comes through the mire. The pained vocal screams work particularly well at the end of this track.

Track six Mocatas Revenge begins with an interesting “tune” which is echoed in the guitars, bass and vocals. The riff leading us into the next section works very well before treating us to another example of their writing skills with a slight pause before another erratic section, making the change the faster, groovier entry beginning at 1.45 even more prominent.

Hung Above the Meat Grinder really brings out the Chuck-esque quality of Brown’s vocals. The section beginning at 2.18 with the guitar harmonies from Hindmarsh and Codling is exquisite.

The last track Enter the Chapel of Splatter (loving the title) conveys a sense of uneasy dread with the first few riffs. The continued, tortured, evil energy of the album seeping through gives no sense of release or hope and the feeling that you just witnessed something truly horrifying as Codling’s solo strikes the final blow.

This incredible release is a must have for fans of old school death metal. With gore, unpredictability and intricate writing you’re in for a treat, especially for those who enjoy Death, Obituary and Entombed. After several days of digesting this album I am still rediscovering details every time I listen to it, which for me will mean it will become a timeless classic of the UK underground. This group of capable musicians deserve all the recognition this stunning album sends their way.

Catch the rot!

Members:

Jamie Brown- Vocals

Richard Codling- Guitars and Backing Vocals

Lee Anderson- Bass

Robert Hindmarsh- Guitars

Matthew Henderson- Drums

Tracks:

1. Screams from the Morgue
2. Forced Back to Life
3. Age of Oblivion
4. Sleep Paralysis
5. Beyond Death
6. Mocatas Revenge
7. Hung Above the Meat Grinder
8. Enter the Chapel of Splatter