Artist: Ichor
Title: Benthic Horizon
Type: Album
Label: Bastardized

Hands up who knows what “benthic” means? Didn't think so. It turns out that it means the flora and fauna found at the bottom of a sea or lake. You see, here at Metal Team UK, it is our mission to entertain, educate and inform. “Benthic Horizon” is the second album from German death metal chaps Ichor, this time seemingly a themed album of sorts regarding the sea. The album artwork requires a particular mention in this regard; a darkly detailed underwater scene complete with ghastly fish and an old fashioned diver with his limbs eaten. For some reason, I couldn't stop thinking of the brilliant video game Bioshock, though there doesn't appear to be any formal link between this album and the game other than the oceanic vibe.

Benthic Horizon was recorded at the Hertz studio, Poland, home to death metal royalty Decapitated and Behemoth, and so unsurprisingly this album features an unearthly production. Ichor seem to take their influences from a whole different area of the continent, however. The guys sound altogether more...Belgian in approach than the clean, clinical sound of Decapitated or the overwrought bombast of Behemoth. To my ears, Ichor sound much more like prime Aborted, with the same groove laden churning lead heavy riffs, occasional dual vocals screeching and hoarsely shouting along and the inhuman feats of drumming propelling it all along. While they know how to bring the heavier sound into play, the catchiness of the songs takes some hearing to be believed. The staccato riffing and infectious guitar work of stand out track “Among the Swarm”, for instance, will stay in your head much longer than it takes the track to finish – a rare quality for much modern death metal, which while technically impressive, is also sterile and forgettable.

Benthic Horizon is one of those albums that carries an atmosphere of its own. It's an oppressive and crushing atmosphere not unlike being at the bottom of the ocean. While the modern sounding production might put off some purists, the punch and power of the sound almost leaps from the speakers. When the rhythm section lock onto a groove, there is a juggernaut like quality that is almost irresistible to the ear. This is a hugely impressive release, and one that deserves to be seen wider in the live setting. Ichor, coming to a town near you?

http://www.myspace.com/ichormetal