Artist: Symbolyc
Title: Engraved Flesh
Type: Album
Label: My Kingdom Music

Italy’s Symbolyc have cited Behemoth, Vader and Decapitated as influences on their brand of pulverising death metal, so a Polish sound is expected, but it’s certainly no rip-off. In fact, this cleanly produced work does provide the clarity of the aforementioned bands, but brings an attitude and aggression of their own to the dance. This relentless breed of extreme metal is fantastically powerful, technically flawless, tightly played, and an absolute pleasure to hear; the mix is so crunchy and heavy that you can feel the unholy alliance of twin guitars and Raffaele Pezzella’s bass drums reverberate in your head.

Such majestic death metal utilises the guitar duo of Sossio Aversana and Alessandro Mormile to absolute maximum effect. Apart from a dubious metalcore influence heard in ‘Wingless’ and ‘Livin’ In A Cold Lie’, this is clinic of how to vary death metal guitars, whether they be conjuring grandiose solos, or slab heavy chug-along riffs; there is even a Nile-like eastern influence on the complex arrangement of ‘Within The Realms Of Human Awareness’ and ‘Denied’. Pezzella’s drumming shines throughout the album, blasting, or pulverising his kit, for example at the start of ‘Suffering’. Diego Laino also deserves a mention, bringing a deep, deep, guttural snarl, which increases the heaviness tenfold.

Just to mention also that this is Symbolic’s debut album - if this is their first stab at a full-length slice of death metal, you can’t help but shit yourself wondering what the hell this band is capable of in the future. Nice!

http://www.furoritalicus.altervista.org
http://www.myspace.com/symbolyc

Andrew Doherty

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