Year: 2023
Total Time: 44:46
Label: Reaper Entertainment
One of the most cliché phrases you’ll read on fan sports forums and hear in today’s cafeterias is the following “The winning team doesn’t change!” with the one who utters it, taking an unquestionable style, something like an axiom. Of course, you will rightly wonder why this introduction and what is its relationship with MEMORIAM? I am coming with the answer right away ….
The quartet from the metal city of Birmingham stayed the same and decided to continue from “To The End” which ended with “As My Heart Glows Old” a straight, raw, lyrical, melodic, epic Death Metal song with Willets paying a requiem-like tribute with “Never Forget Never Again (6 million Dead)” following this heavy pattern while continuing the second part of this second trilogy. Here, MEMORIAM take a slightly different approach by injecting a somber, heavy emotional atmosphere into their already heavy tracks. No, they didn’t become more melodic or honeyed, however their sound tries to test the listener’s reflexes, drawing his attention….
Any inevitable and necessary parallelism with BOLT THROWER is for me “4th Crusade” and the atmosphere in there. Although both bands start in completely different directions, nevertheless the slow-moving moments of “Rise To Power” combined with the epic element (regarding of course the recording of an observer and not the recounting and embellishing of heroic deeds), bring them side by side to face each other. Otherwise, the characteristic heavy riffing is present as well as the overwhelming sound of the drums, which gradually destroys everything in its path. Of course Willets’ special and internal lyrics are present!
The production, mixing and mastering of the record was again done by Russ Russell and the result is truly gigantic! As for the artwork, the well-known and not exceptional Dan Seagrave once again performed his miracle and delivered us yet another characteristic cover. I don’t know if it is MEMORIAM’s strongest album, but it is definitely the most direct and the most atmospheric. If it is the best? Only time will tell.
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Dimos Karadimos
Related Link: MEMORIAM – Official Page
