Degial - Death's Striking Wings

 

DEGIAL - Death's Striking Wings (SEPULCHRAL VOICE - LP 2012)

Without trying to sound dull I do must admit that this debut full length album of Degial was something I really, eagerly waited for. All in all the Metal of Death Uppsala – which includes also Graveless, Invidious and Veternus – is something what fastens the heartbeat of over 30’s chap like me, as those guys truly resurrect the old death metal spirit in excellent way (both with the music and image). I mean Invidious’ debut MLP “In Death” is just a killer dose of music, while I’m yet to hear Graveless’ demo, but I expect similar sort of devastating, blasphemous old styled death metal. Meanwhile Degial has already unleashed upon the mankind two releases: “Awakening from Darkness” demo (2006) and killer “Death and Darkness Buries All...” EP (2010), before Sepulchral Voice smelt the odour of rot and decided to release Degial’s debut CD/LP. The LP comes on black wax, with a giant poster. The layout is pretty simple, but it definitely fits the whole dark and eerie atmosphere of the music, which Degial provides. And believe me or not, while I really was massacred by the likes of Bastard Priest, Morbus Chron and Invidious, I see “Death's Striking Wings” as even better release!
This album has incredible atmosphere. Imagine some of the most evil, eerie, dark and sinister death metal sounds ever created… this is Degial. I mean obviously there is nothing neither original nor unheard before, but the way those young Swedes managed to perform their music and how dense, aggressive and ghastly mood they created is beyond something usual and common. I devour every sound from “Death's Striking Wings” in almost lunatic or possessed worship and that brutal, evil energy just fills me totally, pushing to some of the most maniacal headbanging that I have ever performed. I grabbed the beer, drunk it within a minute and just went off crazy.

I love the music on “Death's Striking Wings”. From one hand Degial obviously pays tribute to their Swedish death metal legacy – Nihilist, Dismember, Treblinka, Merciless, you know them. But surprisingly “Death's Striking Wings” has also many riffs, which I feel like have been taken directly from my motherfucking best death metal album ever created – “Altars of Madness”. And of course also from “Abominations of Desolation”!!!!!! Hell, it is so rare, when someone could be able so brilliantly to recreate that evil atmosphere and style from those two LPs and here is Degial, which from one hand presents many fragments, which really do sound like Morbid Angel back at the end of the 80’s – even the guitar tone and the whole production may sound freaking familiar to you – but from the other hand Degial has more to their style, what makes them something better than just a bare cut’n’paste the old riffs death metal band. Fuck, in “Black Grave (The Gateway)” for instance there’s even a riff and whole motif, which sounds like old Metallica from their first two killer albums. What would you say about that?! Add some “Show No Mercy” worship, some early Death and maybe you’ll get the whole picture of what “Death's Striking Wings” is like. Obviously to many Degial will be yet another old styled death metal band from Sweden and those malcontents will never be able to feel what I feel, when I listen to this album – which are passion, enthusiasm, energy, kick in the mouth… They’ll just moan that they prefer the old bands and albums rather than something what recreates the atmosphere from their favourite cult recordings. I would agree if it wasn’t for the fact that I like Degial’s music so much. And not just Degial’s as there are many more bands nowadays, which really slay with their old school metal of death. As someone, who’s been into it for over 20 years now, I can only underline my enthusiasm for this sort of playing.

For that Morbid Angel-ism in Degial I would especially recommend you such anthems as “Death's Striking Wings” (slower, maybe even more in the vein of some later released Morbid albums… but what a damn killer riffing in it!!!!!) and “Temple in Whirling Darkness”, which is so fuckin fast and killer that it actually reminds me “Maze of Torment” in many ways hehe! Anyway, the strength of Degial’s album is not just that they play old school death metal, but it is the way they do it, the riffs they have composed and the songs they’ve arranged and putted together. Even the production – which is so amazingly organic, raw and analogue – is something really to admire. Ha, I dare to say there won’t be many albums in 2012, which could better “Death's Striking Wings” and while “Illud Divinum Insanus” was such a huge disappointment to many maniacs, maybe they should rather go for such bands as Degial instead? I would definitely do so. Fuckin recommended!!!!!!

Standout tracks: “Death's Striking Wings”, “Black Grave (The Gateway)”, “Swarming”

Final rate: 95/100