ACEPHALIX

ACEPHALIX "Theothanatology"

By Dr. Abner Mality

ACEPHALIX returns after 5 years of silence. I thought these guys had bought the farm, but no, they are back to their old tricks with "Theothanatology".

I'm going to come right out and say that after 5 years, I was expecting something more expansive than this. The album is a workmanlike effort of American death metal and solidly crafted. And that's about it. We get eight songs, seven of which do not reach the four minute mark. They are all fast, chugging battering rams of morbid riffing, tremolo picking, apish grunts and bitter reflections on religion. Only last song "Atheonomist" exceeds five minutes, but it sounds like a slightly longer version of the other tracks. One peculiarity is that almost every cut features spoken word parts with a robotic delivery.

There is something to be said for not biting off more than you can chew and keeping things simple. Maybe this is just the sound of ACEPHALIX getting their feet under them after a prolonged absence. But yeah, to be honest, I was expecting something just a little bit more.

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ACEPHALIX