Artist: Autumnal Reaper
Title: Rise of the Raging Death
Type: Album
Label: Apollon Records

Dutch Black/Death metallers Autumnal Reaper have been releasing albums since 1999, ‘Rise of the Raging Death’ represents album number three if you discount the live and EP releases. Regrouping after the loss of a band member to cancer in 2003, these are a pretty good force to be reckoned with. Initially there are flourishes of black metal riffs but the majority in the death metal camp, I suppose when its all mixed up melodic black metal might be a good comparison for the black metal influences (Dissection) with the towering inferno of Behemoth and Vader bringing up the raging death as they so happily advertise. There is no denying the death metal kick drum, especially when displayed as well as is on ‘Requiem’. Waltr Verschoor the live guitarist from Kampfar and a special occasional appearance on keyboards of Mike Browning from Nocturnus/ex-Morbid Angel fame feature in this current line up, there is such a constant rhythmic battering developing throughout the album. ‘Realms of Gold Inhabitants of Greed’ is a pure black metal deliverance of evil.

The keyboards finally come out of the background for ‘Guilty of Divinity’ and the whole album keeps things moving along. Perhaps this is one of the problems, it doesn’t really have any light and shade or any stopgaps, apart from the guttural vocal lines in the title track even though the styles are mixed perfectly in reality. I am sometimes left like this is washing over me and every now and again some genius developments occur. I loved this album upon first listen, after a few more listens, I am liking it less, however each time you go back to this album you gain something different from it. This is usually a mark of a clever and good album. Whilst the jury is still out on this fact ‘Rise of the Raging Death’ is still a solid release, but not really outside of the box black/death metal, however, an album that is worth giving a shout too.

http://www.myspace.com/AutumnalReaperBand
http://www.apollonrecords.nl/

Paul Maddison

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