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| Cover art by Pär Olofsson |
New Jersey death metallers Kalopsia have taken a rather circuitous route in releasing their sophomore effort. They initially attracted the attention of Decibel, who broke form to stream "Salt Down Earth" off what was then their demo. The record eventually found a slightly odd home, being classic American death metal released on German label Godeater. Amongst The Ruins is their first record since 2003's Exquisite Beauty of the Defiled, released by the long-defunct Think Metal. Since then, they haven't exactly been in hibernation, as the band feature current and former members of Funebrarum, Deteriorot and Dehumanized, but it did take a while for the planets to align for Kalopsia to make music as a unit again.
This is one of those cases where the wait has certainly been worthwhile, as Kalopsia offer up an excellent example of thick, meaty guitar tones delivered at an absolutely punishing pace. The vocals are a high point, somehow sounding both monstrously guttural and weirdly articulate. While death metal tends to be a somewhat saturated genre, an argument that "Liar's Eulogy" or "Green Eyed Monster" are somehow unnecessary would fall flat. For those who want an extra dose of blast-driven, sweaty aggression, stinking and straight from the shore, Amongst The Ruins delivers.
[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]