Band: PEDOPHILE PRIESTS
Country: Ireland
Title: Cancer
Label: Metal Scrap Records
Year: 2019
Style: Progressive Death Metal
Review:
I have forgotten how much I liked this band's debut album three years ago, and something made me revisit my review from back then. Well, actually most of what I said then is still valid, with the addition this new album is one of the biggest surprises I had in 2019 from the Death Metal territory and the year is close to ending so nothing more can change that. The new material is made of 11 tracks and clocks 50 minutes of Progressive / Avantgarde Death Metal where the Ireland based (originally from Poland) duo perfectly blends somehow dissonant harmonies and structures with catchy choruses and a multitude of instrumental hooks all over the place topped by one of the most distinguishable vocals this genre offered lately. I'm talking about the main vocal type (there are plenty of other backing the main vocals, from Dani Filth-like screams to warm, melodic clean tonalities), that's a combination or growls and shouted air / forced exhales on lack of air; I won't lie, at first I hated the sound, but it grew on me and I realized I only hated it because of its uniqueness, of how different they sound from the rest. The instrumental part is fantastic, there are so many elements to discover all the time I was glued to this album throughout the whole 50 minutes, and had the pleasure to discover surprises at every corner. To give you a rough idea of how the band sounds like just think of a mix between Mithras and Akercocke and Mithras with hints of Pestilence, Behemoth and even Benediction. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic! And the guitar solos... ah, what tremendous solos... Melodic, challenging, technical, bold, oppressive, fast paced, wide, these are the words that come to mind at the moment. I encourage you to give this album a thorough listen, one or two tracks won't do it any justice and you most probably will hate it. Not a perfect album, but the closest to perfection from my point of view.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 10/10