Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Deathchain
Label: Dynamic Arts Records
Release: 2008
Runtime: 42:16
Rating: 3.5/5
Finnish death/thrash metal outfit Deathchain have a habit of naming their albums with phrases built around death or dead, and with their fourth record they stay true to tradition. Here it is – Death Eternal! In 2006, the charismatic vocalist Rotten left these death-obsessed Finnish morbid freaks. He left a big mark on the band’s first two albums and was a big part of why the Finnish label Dynamic Arts noticed Deathchain in the first place. His departure left more than obvious scars on the rest of the members, since the album that followed was a desperate attempt by a band that had run out of inspiration. Cult of Death is and remains the big black spot in the band’s history, and after the record flopped and the reviews were bad, guitarist Bobby Undertaker bailed too. Last year, though, the rejuvenated lineup got back on the right track with the record in front of us, and is once again crossing the river Styx hand in hand with Matilda!
With their first two releases, Deathchain made a good name for themselves on the death/thrash scene, and with Cult of Death they royally trashed it. Well, on Death Eternal the Finns confirm they’re not ready for the scrap heap just yet. On Death Eternal they flirt with their past and once again bring an energy-charged, aggressive metal full of excellent riffing, brutal drumming and relentless speed. The first thing you’ll easily notice on the album is the vastly improved vocals of new vocalist K.J. Khaos, who disappointed on the previous record with a bland, empty and generic delivery. This time, though, Mr. Khaos makes full use of his vocal cords and delivers mighty, aggressive, venomous and raw commanding vocals that fit perfectly with the guitars, which sound like well-oiled AK-47s, and the drums, which sound like cannon artillery fire! Even though Deathchain offer absolutely no innovation in death/thrash (honestly, you can’t really expect that from a band that clings to album titles with the word Death like a drunk to a fence, right?), they bring enough of a fresh breeze that it’s not hard to say Death Eternal is one of the better records in the genre lately, and I think the band can easily be mentioned in the same breath as Dew-Scented, the champions of modern death/thrash metal. And since lyrics about, what else, death, war and Satan match the brutal energy of the music so well, Deathchain close out the album with the seven-and-a-half-minute masterpiece Incantation of Shub-Niggurath, which, with its chilling atmosphere, oriental acoustic guitars and choral murmuring, completely pays homage to the legacy of the great H.P. Lovecraft.
With Death Eternal, Deathchain have proven that the real chemistry is back in the band and that the Cult of Death fiasco is almost forgotten. If they keep going in this style, only a bright future awaits them. And last but not least, they’re perfect proof that the Finns can still write real metal, and not just humppa cigu migu metal, sugary gothic metal and power metal about elves, dragons and princesses.
Lineup
K.J. Khaos – vocals
Cult – guitar
Corpse – guitar
Kuolio – bass
Kassara – drums
Tracklist
1. Titans of Black Earth 04:03
2. Sworn Beneath 04:14
3. Awaken… Horrors of This Earth 04:02
4. Plaguethrone 03:56
5. Song of Chaos and the Void 04:11
6. The Ancient and the Vile 05:39
7. Monolith of Death 04:42
8. Spheres of Blasphemy 03:59
9. Incantations of Shub-Niggurath 07:30
