Crust is the sort of thing that, like all metal, can feel really lazy at times. To bring some flavors of punk into the vast world of death metal is far from anything that we’ve seen before for years, but that doesn’t mean it always works out. In the wrong hands, it can feel like a punk band trying to sound heavier when they’ve no capacity to do so whatsoever. But, in the right hands, we get what can easily be described as some of the best material that metal can provide. Joining notable acts that have taken over certain sections of the modern metal community, Goregӓng’s debut album is nothing short of venomously intoxicating.
To say that there’s not a single moment throughout the entirety of this album is used to its fullest potential and contains some of the finest material of the style that I’ve heard in far too long would be putting it mildly at best as Goregӓng has created a staggering twelve tracks of sheer devastation. It’s through immaculate riffage and a sound that’s as villainous as it is gripping and flavorful that “Neon Graves” immediately becomes one of my favorites of 2019 as it’s with each track and each note that Goregӓng shows us exactly what they’re all about as this record is a true wonder of its kind from top to bottom. There’s something glorious for any fan of death metal be they new or old be it in the form of stunning vocals coupled with the instrumentation that’s nigh on masterful as they capitalize at every possible turn or bringing imagery to mind that’s as brilliant and gruesome as the glorious death metal itself. And that’s not even trying to dissect each and every single song in the grand mastery that they are all by themselves. From crowd-pleasing grinders like “Spray of Teeth” to a real tour de force of the style like “Neon Graves” to defiant chants like “False Flags” to mind-gripping anthems like “Goregӓng”, there is truly nothing to not lose yourself in within the vast cavern of gore and excellence that Goregӓng has somehow carved out with this simply stunning debut.
Any sort of fumble of any kind would’ve made all the sense in the world with a debut as it can show the members not having yet honed the finer art of moving as a unit and thus creating something just as interesting, but it’s with Goregӓng that we’re as far from such a fate as possible. There’s no other way to say it: “Neon Graves” is a monumental album in its own right to where if it doesn’t get loads of praise for just its sheer power then that is a true crime against quality metal.
“Neon Graves” releases on May 20th via Transcending Obscurity Records!
LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Neon Graves” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Goregӓng on Facebook here.
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