Since releasing their triumphant full length debut (Embracing This Deformity) last year, Detrimentum have been going from strength to strength. Their Live shows are something of an intense experience of death metal brutality.
Opening track ‘Pestilence Shared with the Worms’ immediately makes you stand to attention, the production is damn good, especially the way the different instruments are separated and clear in the mix, the usual miss-mash associated with this genre does not occur for these UK chaps. In musical terms, it is all business as usual, anyone who is a fan of this band would know what to expect. The new line up including Steve Powel (Anaal Nathrakh) on Drums works well, with all the technical brilliance is caught nicely on tape (or digital media now!), hammering away like a machine gun with the firing trigger stuck solid. The vocals are much more down the line of death metal pure and simple, less growl and bile as those previously heard, I think this is a good move; this makes the whole package slightly more accessible without detracting from the original ideals of the band. The majestic sweeping fretwork coupled with some frantic time changes as heard on ‘Dark Sight Infernum’ again with some magical riff mongering is top notch. To say this is a self released demo, the bass is brought to the forefront terrifically. Final track ‘Dominus Detrimentum’ displays some doom elements, a change from everything else, but this works well, the breakpoints are well arranged and I feel that there has been much development in the song writing process in recent months and it smashes the place to pieces when the battalion of death metal rhythms kick in. With the addition of Steve on drums, there is certainly some previous bands experience that has rubbed off on his current band members, the whole demo EP is very much a pulverising headfuck.
Look out for a live appearance on a stunning bill at the Tenth London Deathfest on June 27th, a day not to be missed with Detrimentum adding to the quality no doubt as always. The band are currently unsigned for their 2nd full length album release, if this demo is anything to go by, they should have no trouble inviting label interest. Detrimentum are one of the best UK death metal bands in recent year’s full stop.
http://www.detrimentum.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/detrimentum
