REVIEW: PURGATION - REALM OF THE DEAD

 

PURGATION - REALM OF THE DEAD (Independent, 2000):

Technical data:

Recorded at Digital Traxx - La Place, Louisiana

Track List: 1- Watching the World Die, 2- Eulogy (Part II), 3- Slumber, 4- Realm of the dead

It is funny to see how sometimes certain stereotypes can fool you. One of this stereotypes says that if you have a CD with a really dark cover featuring some dark painting including some diabolic figures, then you must be looking at a black/death metal CD. But here we have that really dark cover artwork and the music is completely different from what I expected. In fact what we have here is great hard rock with some grunge and stoner influences. The first track "Watching the World Die" reminded me of old Soundgarden ("Louder Than Love" era). Crushing guitar rhythms and twisted vocal melodies are the main features here. Riffs that reach heaviness using power chords instead of one note speed lines. Drums that are played giving a lot of space to the others instruments to breath. The good thing about this CD is that it is not hard rock, it is not grunge, it is not stoner rock, it is not hardcore, but has things of all this styles. Favorite tracks: "Watching the World Die" and "Realm of the Dead". Contact: www.purgation.com and www.mp3.com/purgation