FLESHCRAWL - "AS BLOOD RAINS FROM THE SKY...WE WALK THE PATH OF ENDLESS FIRE" (METAL BLADE)
FLESHCRAWL - "AS BLOOD RAINS FROM THE SKY...WE WALK THE PATH OF ENDLESS FIRE" (METAL BLADE)
One of Metal Blade's recent signings is the German death metal band Fleshcrawl. This band has already released four albums on Black Mark and Invasion Records, and have been working at their blend of furiously fast old Entombed-style death metal (with a Gothenburg influence here and there) since 1992.
The band's experience is obvious in the execution of the tracks. Extremely tight rhythms and hooks, a good production and a grunt that can compete with the darkest, most evil sounding vocalists out there.
"As Blood Rains from the Sky...We Walk the Path of Endless Fire" starts with a deceivingly relaxing intro, but right after that they kick off with an unrelenting assault on the eardrums.
Fleshcrawl may produce well-executed tracks with good drumming and an evil grunt, however, they don't really do much that hasn't been done before. Most of the tracks seem to be based around more or less the same speed with some cool riffing going on, but it's nothing new. "The Dark Side of my Soul" offers a cool twist here and there which makes it the best track on the album, but other than that you'll first need to ask yourself whether you need more of the same, gothenburg-influenced death metal. If you don't have too much of it in the first place, though, Fleshcrawl is as good an album to start with as any.
RK
Written January 2000