Ελληνικά
Genre: Death Metal
Country: United Kingdom
Label: Memento Mori
Year: 2015
Austerymn made their first appearance under the name Perpetual Infestation back in 1990, before changing it in Godless Truth in 1991 and, after releasing one demo, they disbanded leaving each member to take its own way. Fourteen years later, while the old pals were hanging around drinking beers and complaining about their women and bosses, someone dropped the idea: “why the f..k don’t we reboot the band to let some steam off?”. And so Austerymn was created! After a number of rehearsals, experimentations, beers etc, the band finally released the demo “In Death… We Speak” in 2013 and everything fell into place. Their debut full-length was imminent.
The founding members Rik Simpson and Steve Critchley recruited the buddy, guitarist Stuart Makin, and drummer Nikk Perros (compatriot?) to release “Sepulcrum Viventium”. The album can be considered as a death metal release overall, however constantly peeking at the thrash genre. The musical form is often close to old school death, still all the thrash influences and the modern production prevent us from classifying them as retro death. I’d say that in terms of sound and songwriting they reminded me of Benediction’s last album (for example in “Buried Alive”), and Sylosis’ extreme thrash riffing (especially in “In Death….We Speak”), with the main difference being the speedup Austerymn demonstrate from time to time. My references are of course bands from the UK, the death scene of which -by the way- I feel that has let down the fans, as it never managed to produce equals to the Napalm Death/Bolt Thrower/Carcass/Benediction generation. Moreover, in the peculiar “Darkness Burns Forever”, the riffs as well as the vocals leave an In Flames déjà vu (from the “Jester Race” era).
In conclusion, this is a record that a death fan will listen to pleasantly. Without claiming to be pioneers in the genre or geniuses as songwriters, the members of Austerymn have released a decent death/thrash album, nearly 25 years after their first guise! Well, better late than never…
4/6
