PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Fall Of The Rebel Angels, the 3rd full length release from Canadian based metal band Soulstorm brings extreme metal to it’s next crushing level. Released on August 30th 2012 via Full Blast PR, Soulstorm have captured the sound of early Godflesh and Fudge Tunnel and brought it kicking and screaming into the 22nd century.
Soulstorm came to be in 1991 after bassist/vocalist Nick Sagias disbanded his band Overthrow and set about forming Soulstorm who went on to be an early pioneer of death metal crossed with industrial rhythms. Fall Of The Rebel Angels follows their 1992 debut Darkness Visible and 1994 release Euphoria To Paranoia. Nick then took a 5 year break before working on Fall Of The Rebel Angels.
Opening track Soulless’s jackhammer drums and grinding riffs immediately set the classic industrial tone over an almost spoken word death metal vocal delivery. Other tracks of note are Interwoven. It begins with monotone drum patterns, the guitars and bass pick up the same beat as does the vocal, bringing to mind early Ministry. The title track’s riffs are huge over staccato drums backed up by mournful synths to pile on the bleakness even more! The first 2 minutes of Control,Suppress,Deny is instrumentally a drum beat copying distorted guitar riffs with washes of synth as the following 6 minutes contain a vocal delivery to mirror the song title. The synth led Descent Into Desolation begins with a sample akin to someone’s last breath. It is synth lead with a vocal delivery more of a growl than sung. Plague Of The North is bolstered by a nagging Slayer type riff with a double tracked vocal to make it sound even more menacing but the highlight is the album closer Catalyst Rising. A claustrophobic 9 minutes of down tuned guitars/bass,lump hammer drums,eerie synths and the most psychotic vocal on the album.
Buy the album and fall into Soulstorm’s musical abyss!
Soulstorm band line up :-
Nick Sagias – Bass/vocals.
Chris Mezzabotta – Drums.
Shawn Stoneman – Guitars.
Bryan Mallon – Guitars.
Fall Of The Rebel Angels track listing :-
Soulless.
Interwoven.
Fall Of The Rebel Angels.
Kingdom Of Rats.
Control,Suppress,Deny.
Descent Into Desolation.
The Nihilism Quotient.
Plague Of The North Winds.
Residual Traces.
Catalyst Rising.
I award the album 9/10.
