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Gospel Of Maggots

Poland Country of Origin: Poland

2. Psychopathological Compulsion
3. Trial Of Bloodletting
4. Failed Mutation
5. Wretched Idolatry
6. Infernal Cleansing
7. Kept In The Dark
8. Gospel Of Maggots
9. Ascendancy Through Obliteration
10. Burning The Falsehood

Review by Michael on May 18, 2023.

With Prey the Dutch guys and a gals deliver a pretty cool and very bombastic debut album which came out on Listenable Records. You can tell immediately that they are not some newcomers, but musicians who have been swirling around in the Dutch scene for a long time, among others with God Dethroned, Asagraum or Bleeding Gods.

The intro 'Let The World Burn' alone leaves no doubt about that and the first "real" track 'The Killing Spree' seems just as sublime and majestic. The very varied high lead vocals of Marloes Voskuil and the deep growls of David Gutierrez Rojas, who is also responsible for the keyboards, which are an important feature on Prey, are a very interesting and entertaining symbiosis. Musically, the album has become an epic black metal opera, which (especially through the spoken words and the keyboards) repeatedly reminds of an unholy mixture of old Nocturnus and Cradle Of Filth and could pass as a soundtrack for historical film epics or science fiction. However, the whole thing never drifts into kitschy realms, but always remains on a very high level and very sophisticated. Although the evilness here and there leaves much to be desired, but still, through the use of keyboards often very oppressive but also atmospheric moments are delivered. The rather low tuned guitars complement the songs very well and offer an interesting contrast to the bombastic melodies. Here also a certain death metal component comes into play, but also some classics, reminiscent of Iron Maiden, heavy metal elements can be recognized here and there in the guitar playing. Most of the time the six Dutchmen move in the mid tempo range, but when the tempo is increased, then really: fat blast beats and aggressive guitar leads are then blasted into the ears of the listener and leave no doubt about the musical abilities of the band.

Even though I unfortunately didn't have any lyrics for the album, the words are reasonably well understandable and especially 'Prey' and 'Schizophrenia', the bonus track, are very interesting. These are about inner conflicts and mental problems, which are told very sophisticatedly from the first-person perspective or from the perspective of an outsider ('Schizophrenia'). Thus, the band stands out from many other genre colleagues not only musically, but also lyrically.
The production is also very powerful, well balanced and leaves nothing to be desired.

With so much praise - are there also points of criticism? Well, I have to say that I found the album a bit exhausting to follow during the first two listens, but with each listen the album becomes more interesting and draws me in more. So, anyone who doesn't find the album convincing right away - listen to it several times, because it's worth it!

Rating: 9 out of 10

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Review by Adam M on June 29, 2010.

Very technical metal is on display here that prides itself on speed and intensity. There are many moments that are quite compelling and the band do an admirable job keeping their material frenetic. It’s also apparent that Deivos might bring things up a couple of notches too high as well, as there could be a little more control to be found. Nimble drumming and furious guitar playing take precedence in the mix. The focus is definitely upon bringing a chaotic style into the forefront and they bring a technical level of finesse that is quite worth appreciating to the listener.

You could compare Deivos to a band like Nile, but we can detect a looser approach here. Most of the songs on the album are of similar quality, although there is certainly variation to be found in the riff structures between them. The pace the band maintains is definitely quicker than that which Nile performs at and shows off the talent of the band’s performers. In fact, the least interesting facet of the album is perhaps the vocals, which just fit into the background, but do nothing to separate themselves from the rest of the material. Otherwise, nimble textures are crafted that create a complex sound arena for the band.

One could argue the band might improve by trying to slow down their musical tempos and trying to bring slower, more compelling moments to the forefront, but the music is tight enough to overlook how there could be slightly more ingenious moments to be found. Fans of technical metal should be in for enough of a treat with the release as they will be able to digest the intense display perhaps better than the remainder of all metal listeners. Still, anyone looking for something adventurous could give "Gospel Of Maggots" a try as well.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7.5
Originality: 7
Overall: 7.6

Rating:7.6 out of 10

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