Review by Aaron on March 10, 2005.

I’m going to stop reading the press releases that come with the review copies of albums. On top of the ones the blow smoke up your ass heralding the album you hold in your hands to be the next Ace of Spades when it isn’t fit to be a drink coaster, you get the other end of the spectrum where the press does absolutely no justice to what you’re about to hear. Ohio-based Mouth of the Architect’s first release Time and Withering is an excellent example of the latter. Touted as a having the heaviness of Sunn 0))) and Isis, this unnecessarily piggybacks the band when, while they share some peripheral similarities with the likes of the aforementioned bands, their sound stands on its own.

Time and Withering’s four tracks clock in at a little over 40 minutes and are built on psychedelic-tinged dirge grooves that are repetitive enough to create a sort of melodic trance while not becoming redundant and boring. There’s a trick to keeping the listener’s attention on a musical piece that doesn’t consist of real significant change in structure for extended periods of time and Mouth of the Architect pull it off. The first track, “A Vivid Chaos,” is a lengthy piece that gives credence to the Isis comparison; however, the rhythm of the song steers Mouth of the Architect into different waters, fusing the melody with a subtle ambient noises that weave in and out of all the songs on the album. “Heart Eaters” is a wall-of-noise cacophony that lumbers along and, while being the shortest song on the album at just under five minutes, is easily the heaviest. The end song, “The Worm,” is a slow-burning melodic rolling stone that slowly builds up speed during the course of the song without creating any real difference in tempo or detracting from the Pink Floyd-ish ambience that is the backbone of the song.

The only real complaint that I had with the album is the lack of quality in the vocals. Consisting primarily of yelling, the combination of the lack of discernable enthusiasm and the low mix didn’t really do anything to add to the overall end result. Fortunately Time and Withering has very little in the way of vocals, but hopefully it’s something that can be rectified in future recordings.

Time and Withering is a definite strong show right out of the gate for Mouth of the Architect. It’s not an album for those with short attention spans, but I suspect such types would’ve probably stopped reading this review long ago anyway. Good stuff.

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by chrisc7249 on January 8, 2023.

Deeds of Flesh… perhaps the apex band of brutal death metal; yes for as much as I love the numerous legendary albums from bands like Cryptopsy and Suffocation, it is Deeds of Flesh that remains atop the brutal death metal throne in my eyes. Sure, their early primitive stuff is a little one dimensional and merely average, and the later stuff is great, albeit leaning more towards technical death metal than brutal death metal… but, in 2003, Deeds of Flesh peaked by combining the primitiveness of the early years with the technique that was soon to come to create one ultimate 46 minute journey of technicality and brutality known as "Reduced to Ashes."

If you've ever wondered what Deicide sounded like if they continued to hammer down on the brutality and virtuous musicianship after "Legion," they would have probably ended up sounding something like this. "Reduced to Ashes" is stupidly heavy, brimming with intricate, evil riffs and boasts a disgusting atmosphere, backed by superb production and song structuring. This isn't your typical caveman br00tal death; Deeds of Flesh managed to craft a record that's extremely technically engaging, yet never loses its edge by being too flashy for its own good. EVERY single riff on this album has a purpose, whether it's to build to a devastating release waiting around the corner, or if it *is* that devastating release. There are no filler moments, no wasted stupid samples (the one to open the album sets the tone for what's to come perfectly) and absolutely no bullshit. You get what you pay for when it comes to this album.

These riffs… "Reduced to Ashes" has more good riffs in one song than most metal bands do throughout an entire album, sometimes even an entire career. There's actually so many good riffs on this album that it's impossible to comprehend them all as they just deliver blows to your skull with quality riff after quality riff, time and time again. There's no incessant pinch harmonics, the ones that are used are utilized perfectly and add so much more definition to the riff, bolding it out like highlighting something with… well, a highlighter. The production is impeccable - I wouldn't change a thing. Everything is mixed well, sounds great, has a fucking sick tone and the drums… oh man, the drums. I could have passionate, rough sex to the sound of that snare popping off any day of the week. Top it off with bellowing growls that may sound typical, but are necessary - they never try to be too flashy and add an extra layer of sinisterness to the overall record.

There's plenty to say about this album, but I like to keep my reviews short, so we'll boil it down to this; if you like metal… listen to this album. It is pouring at the seams with life, energy, and intensity. There's nothing quite like it out there, even if many bands have attempted time and time again to replicate it. Even if you don't like brutal death metal… I can guarantee you'll find plenty to enjoy about this album. Fucking. Sick.

Rating: 10 out of 10