Burning Inside
The Eve of The Entities
[Still Dead]
Another commendable deathstrike from the Polish warlords of Still Dead ( they put out that amazing Deceased anthology disc), Burning Inside is a Floridian death metal outfit like no other. The project of one Richard Christy of Death fame, Burning Inside adopts an incredibly technical, syncopated, progressive approach to their death metal and ultimately exhume a product that is refreshing amidst the overtly stale trends that plague the Floridian circuit. In short, this is a fucking corker.
Not since the days of Cynic and Atheist have I been subjected to such technically adept, yet incredibly coherent, enjoyable and fluid death metal. The incredibly complex riffing and rhythms swiftly interchange and switch with a wicked treachery, ranking alongside acts like Demilich and Death in sheer technicality. However, where the new Death and Demilich compositions are hindered by the disorienting and disjointed feel that their overt technicality lends them, and whose new albums ultimately prove to be stale affairs, Burning Inside fuse these ultra-technical forays with such effortless ease that songs seldom sound convoluted or irritatingly chaotic. Where bands like Cynic allowed their technicality to overwhelm their brutality and whose complex instrumentation compromised their force, Burning Inside is unrelenting and intensely crushing work. All the time without being obnoxiously over-technical either.
The riffage crawls over the fretboard, calculated and dissonant, as Christy’s polyrhythmic artillery fires fusillades of complex rhythms to perplex and enthrall the listener. Songs seldom follow a formulaic, singular pace, instead winding down several tangents, alternating between full-on, pedal to the metal Morbid Angel-esque moments to crushing breakdowns (the 5 minute mark on Engulfed In Flames is particularly noteworthy), and everything is kept strictly intense throughout the proceedings. Vocals are incredibly reminiscent of David Vincent of youknowwho, and lyrically this very morbid, lyrical and nihilistic stuff, an exhilarating alternative to the goregrind, well-worn clichés of Yankee death metal.
One complaint, though. It is well-documented that Richard Christy is a technical drum wizard, but his drumming, while technically flawless and particularly inventive on this recording, does serve to distract and detract a little from several tracks. His flashy skin-bashing often spills over the ensuing chaos and takes the forefront in the mix, making the music sound a tad awkward. However, it has been demonstrated that he can restrict himself to a simpler approach to the kit, as can be seen with the Mercyful Fate tribute that they recently contributed to. If the drums were toned down a little, I would have appreciated this amazing record even more than I do now.
The words ‘progressive’ and ‘technical’ have long been a bane for this reviewer, and I’ve perpetually treated these terms as synonyms for self-indulgence and a thorough lack of songwriting. Burning Inside is a brilliant exception to this rule, and should find a place in every serious metalhead’s extensive library, and a smorgasbord of the most technically-evolved yet engaging and catchy death metal available in the market today.
[ 8.5 ]
© 2000 equimanthorn
Not since the days of Cynic and Atheist have I been subjected to such technically adept, yet incredibly coherent, enjoyable and fluid death metal. The incredibly complex riffing and rhythms swiftly interchange and switch with a wicked treachery, ranking alongside acts like Demilich and Death in sheer technicality. However, where the new Death and Demilich compositions are hindered by the disorienting and disjointed feel that their overt technicality lends them, and whose new albums ultimately prove to be stale affairs, Burning Inside fuse these ultra-technical forays with such effortless ease that songs seldom sound convoluted or irritatingly chaotic. Where bands like Cynic allowed their technicality to overwhelm their brutality and whose complex instrumentation compromised their force, Burning Inside is unrelenting and intensely crushing work. All the time without being obnoxiously over-technical either.
The riffage crawls over the fretboard, calculated and dissonant, as Christy’s polyrhythmic artillery fires fusillades of complex rhythms to perplex and enthrall the listener. Songs seldom follow a formulaic, singular pace, instead winding down several tangents, alternating between full-on, pedal to the metal Morbid Angel-esque moments to crushing breakdowns (the 5 minute mark on Engulfed In Flames is particularly noteworthy), and everything is kept strictly intense throughout the proceedings. Vocals are incredibly reminiscent of David Vincent of youknowwho, and lyrically this very morbid, lyrical and nihilistic stuff, an exhilarating alternative to the goregrind, well-worn clichés of Yankee death metal.
One complaint, though. It is well-documented that Richard Christy is a technical drum wizard, but his drumming, while technically flawless and particularly inventive on this recording, does serve to distract and detract a little from several tracks. His flashy skin-bashing often spills over the ensuing chaos and takes the forefront in the mix, making the music sound a tad awkward. However, it has been demonstrated that he can restrict himself to a simpler approach to the kit, as can be seen with the Mercyful Fate tribute that they recently contributed to. If the drums were toned down a little, I would have appreciated this amazing record even more than I do now.
The words ‘progressive’ and ‘technical’ have long been a bane for this reviewer, and I’ve perpetually treated these terms as synonyms for self-indulgence and a thorough lack of songwriting. Burning Inside is a brilliant exception to this rule, and should find a place in every serious metalhead’s extensive library, and a smorgasbord of the most technically-evolved yet engaging and catchy death metal available in the market today.
[ 8.5 ]
© 2000 equimanthorn