NUNSLAUGHTER “Red Is the Color of Ripping Death”
By Dr. Abner Mality
NUNSLAUGHTER. I could probably end the review right now and it would be sufficient for many fans of underground death metal. The legend of this bunch of devoted Ohio atheists grows year after year, keeping pace with the prodigious amount of material they produce. But this one is a little different. It’s the first ever NUNSLAUGHTER record released without the physical participation of Mr. Jim Sadist, the long-time drummer who sadly passed away a few years back.
The dark spirit of Sadist hovers over “Red is the Color...” like a grisly fog, though, as he had a hand in writing several of the songs here. If Jim is in Hell, he and his master are well pleased with the tribute NUNSLAUGHTER has provided here. We have 14 tracks of pounding, supremely catchy death metal blasphemy that practically beg the listener to go out and buy a neck brace. What always amazes me about these guys is the economy of how they do things...not a wasted note, not a frivolous moment. It’s all about death metal hooks and aggression from the get go...get in and get out before things grow tired. Lots of more “famous” bands could learn how to write good death metal songs from these guys.
In every way, this is true to Sadist’s vision of NUNSLAUGHTER. All tracks are worthy, but of special note are riff machines “Banished”, “Beware of God”, “Black Cat Hanging” (which boasts great slower pounding riffs) and “The Temptress”. Don of the Dead snarls and sneers his way through Christ-hating propaganda without a moment of pity. NUNSLAUGHTER full-lengths are pretty rare...make sure this one doesn’t go to waste. This band has earned its underground rep.