Carnal Forge
Testify For My Victims ()
Wydane przez Candlelight RecordsRok wydania Kraj SwedenNapisał Wouter7
Swedish melodic death/thrashers have been going at it since 1997 and "Testify For My Victims" is the band's fifth album to date, but the first to feature new vocalist Jens C. Mortensen. From the onset it is clear that the record is build upon the classic foundation laid down by At the Gates' 1997 seminal "Slaughter Of the Soul" album. Overall, this stuff reminds me of early Entombed and Dismember with a bigger budget production and notably smoother around the edges. Power-thrash riffs, violent power chords, mechanical staccato combos and the usual patented Swedish melodic riffs are accounted for and while everything is delivered with utmost conviction and precision, the record never seems to take off. While the material displays this band long and storied career its also a bit unspectacular put into perspective as to how long Carnal Forge have been around. "Testify For My Victims" is a brutal affair, but appears a little on the tame side compared to the band's earlier output. The production is everything we have come to expect from a band of this calibre. Young bands can only dream to ever reach to working ethic of this outfit, yet it seems the band is on autopilot with this album. The guitar tone is clear, holds an abundance of punch yet bites enough to appeal to the brutal crowd. The drums sound clear and the vocals are tough in their streetwise manner, unwantingly giving this band an ever so slight metalcore influence. The artwork and lay-out aren't really that exceptional, but fit well enough with a record of this kind. While not nearly as good as the bands that forged this particular subgenre, Carnal Forge delivers an impressive melodic death metal album with "Testify For My Victims"
www.carnalforge.com
