By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Album Type: Full Length
“Boundless Domain” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1) Boundless Domain
2) Intestinal Wrap
3) Vitrified Earth
4) The Parthian Shot
5) Creators Turned Into Prey
6) Cursed
7) Remnants of the Old Gods
8) Looming
9) The Common Breed
The Review:
Here we go! Death metal from Texas with strong thrash and groove elements. Straight away, I knew this was going to be good. Interestingly, Adam D of Killswitch Engage produces (insufferable stage performances aside, he is a superb musician) and Corpsegrinder even turns up for a cameo on the second track- “Intestinal Wrap”.
The album starts with a slow burn title track and from there ratchets up the death, the thrash, the groove and the intensity. The album has enough variation and push and pull to draw the listener in. this isn’t just mindless blast beats and growls, the songs feel thought out and solid with speed used as necessary and good variety in the riffs.
The solos also rip impressively, so along with a watertight production this represents the full packages as far as death metal goes. Pinch harmonics infiltrate the riffs here and there- a nice nod to death metal of a 90s vintage- while the rolling tank stylings of “Vitrified Earth” show that the band can do different paces nicely as well.
It is to the band’s credit that there is no fat to be trimmed here at all. As I’ve often said, a little death metal goes a long way- so at 36 minutes, this record is spot on in terms of what it offers up. Nine tracks is plenty and the days of bands trying to fill an hour- or a whole CD, Satan help us- have long gone, it seems.
Certainly, the quality here is kept up throughout and the band run through their repertoire very confidently as the album progresses. The sound is unified, even if “The Parthian Shot” is very different from, say, “Cursed”.
In a genre where uniqueness is rare, hopefully this second full length will set Creeping Death apart from the many, many brutal outfits out there. The fact is that the best and biggest DM bands all have a USP; a uniquely identifiable aspect to their sound/style/presentation- which marks them out and causes other bands to try to emulate them.
Pleasingly, Creeping Death don’t sound like Cannibal Corpse, or Obituary, or Deicide, or Morbid Angel, or Cryptopsy, or Autopsy etc. etc. They sound like their own band, with various genres mixed into the death metal drama.
Hopefully, “Boundless Domain” will see the band lifted out of the death metal milieu and into their own space. On the strength of this record, they richly deserve a better level of recognition and reward. They’ve made a very good record. Listen and find out for yourself.
“Boundless Domain” is available HERE
Band info: bandcamp
