Fall Of Pantheon

Oculus EP

Written by: PP on 03/08/2012 17:36:36

After a short and slightly cliché spoken word introduction that consists of an 'evil' voice speaking in an echoing chamber of some sorts, Denmark's Fall Of Pantheon break through the gates with a thunderous death metal expression that's easily one of the most impressive I've heard on an early EP by a band in this country. Although the song "Harder They Fall" is essentially death metal by the books complete with serpentine riffs, by god are they played tightly and with manic precision. What's more, the band adds a quirky melody at the end of each riff which caught my attention pretty much instantaneously. You could argue they're bringing in elements of At The Gates style raw melodeath into an otherwise strictly death metal / grind sound, but you know what, it's for the better because it makes the songs just that much more interesting.

There are still some issues with a typically Danish production that's too hollow and spacey for my liking, but even when taking this into account, it's difficult to argue against the plethora of quality riffage Fall Of Pantheon present throughout "Oculus" EP. There's groove, but not so much as to push it away from its core death metal sound. There are tiny droplets of melody, also in the gutturally growled vocals which do on occasion stretch into a modern metal type of chorus. Normally that would feel out-of-place on a death metal album, but Fall Of Pantheon channel their Raunchy influence nicely into the mix without pushing too far into the pop spectrum, thus keeping the soundscape otherwise nice and brutal all the way through. That's true even when they bring in a mid-song interlude in the form of a melancholic riff/solo that recalls the likes of Paradise Lost, Anathema and so forth on "Serpents Gloat".

Basically, "Oculus" has the sound of a band that knew exactly what it wanted to achieve when heading into the recording studio, just not how to dress it in proper production. With a less-spacious, more intense recording, "Oculus" could be an elite release in Denmark. For now it's a formidable opening and a sign of a bright (or should I say dark?) future to come.

Download: The Harder They Fall, Serpents Gloat
For the fans of: Nile, Behemoth, Decapitated
Listen: Facebook

Release date 20.03.2012
Self-Released

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