AD PATRES
'Scorn Aesthetics'
(Kaotoxin Records)
Death metal that's both
brutal and technical is hardly a new concept and the occasional
grumpy old timer of year 2004 AD might even share his wisdom that the
genre-defining classics can't be touched, much less topped. France's
Ad Patres, however, stand strong and stand their ground with their
debut full-length album. The band has been smart enough to realize
that you need more than non-stop blasts and gurgles to keep the
listener's attention, which is good news and highly enjoyable. While
this certainly is never light in the brutality department there's
some unexpectedly melodic, Sunlight-on-amphetamine, guitar solos and
riffs to be found here and at times one's put in mind of bands such
as Demilich or Kataklysm (back when they were good) rather than the
Suffocations of the world. Adrenaline-pumping and, yeah, plenty scornful,
this is a neat 31 minute album one would like listening to in the
mornings before the daily grind starts. Not exactly groundbreaking but a
good example of energy-laden, precisely played death metal, 21st
century style. [7,5]
(Vladimir Petrov)
