I chose this EP in particular because I think it's the best portrayal of the band's sound, despite the widespread opinion that the debut album Conception of Madness is the pinnacle of their work. Sil Khannaz are one of Malaysia's oldest and most renowned death metal acts, trademarked by very multifaceted musical provisions and some powerful (although not always original) technical riffs. This is rarely my sort of thing but somehow the material here remains much more interesting than on the aforementioned (or forthcoming) works; the vocals have morphed from typical low grunts to twisted rasps and the complexity is a vast improvement in comparison to Sil Khannaz's prior droning sound. "Kiss of the Whisper" is also without a doubt the band's definitive song and probably one of the only real moments of brilliance they've ever hit.

After Pendita Gila, Sil Khannaz decided that they needed to become rock stars and released Gerbang Kayangen with a much more intricate and consequentially convoluted sound. The mentality here is sick, the pictures look like they could have come with a Poison album, and the music itself has lost its bite. This is the point where I'd advise the reader to go listen to Abhorer and tell Sil Khannaz they can fuck off.

Pendita Gila was also re-released with the Assassin Led by Blasphemy Demo from 1992 (probably another attempt by the band to whore some more money in) which was more or less pointless because the production is completely muddled now and the Assassin demo wasn't good to begin with. Try to track down the original and you won't be disappointed, especially if you're a diehard Morbid Angel fan.

© 2001 hando