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Stillborn

Los Asesinos Del Sur

Written by: PP on 12/01/2012 04:49:56

It's been a long run, but it was bound to end one day. In the past few years I've encountered dozens upon dozens of death metal albums from Poland of varying stylistic expression within the same genre, but all with one thing in common: the Poles know how to deliver quality death metal of international class. Until the fourth Stillborn album "Los Asesinos Del Sur" I hadn't heard a single boring Polish death metal release. Well, here's one, lets call it the exception to the rule, shall we?

While the technical terms of Stillborn's 'blasphemous' blackened death metal approach are in order, with plenty of solid tremolo-geared serpentine riffs driving the songs forward, it is especially in the vocal department that the record falls flat on its face. The monotonous barks neither have the shriek quality of typical black metal bands nor the embedded brutality of death metal growls, instead going for a macho yell/shout instead, that doesn't do their sound any justice. They are monstrous and pissed off, sure, but so are Hatebreed clones too and that alone isn't enough to warrant a good rating for a record.

Secondly, Stillborn engage in what should be considered the 'minimum standard' within their genre. The swirling guitars, the rapid fire blast-beat oblivion, the song structures, they are all played to the letter as you would expect from a blackened death metal band. But there isn't anything that would set Stillborn apart from their peers, something which has been the case with the countless other Polish DM/BM bands I've had the pleasure of reviewing. While not terrible by any means, "Los Asesinos Del Sur" is the stereotypical 'average' album within a genre.

Download: any track, variation isn't there
For the fans of: Skeletonwitch, Impiety, Behemoth, Belphegor,
Listen: Myspace

Release date 01.09.2011
Godz Ov War