Maim - Deceased to Exist

 

MAIM - Deceased to Exist (SOULSELLER - LP 2011)

To deliver an album, which would at least equal the awesomeness of the debut, must have been a real challenge for Maim. Well, as some of you might have read in my review, I just loved “From the Womb to the Tomb” LP and couldn’t imagine that the band would ever be able to put out even better album. If “Deceased to Exist” prevails over its predecessor, we’ll get to that later, now I can only write that I’m first and foremost happy that Maim has released a second album so quickly and didn’t surrender or disappeared somewhere in the pits of their tomb. This new LP comes in a yellow coloured digipack, as well as on 300 copies limited vinyl, which I actually hold in my hands with pride (also cursing that the label decided to press more copies, but this time on 180 grams transparent yellow / black splatter vinyl). It definitely was a must for me to purchase a copy of this vinyl and I remember that I’ve just been shaking in excitement, when have been unpacking the parcel with this album. Yeahhhh!!! Who doesn’t love this feeling?

The way this album starts is like a burst of sudden, relentless energy, hitting you right in the face and slashing with cruel, sharp riffing, making a horrifying carnage until there’s not much more left than just warm, bloodied remains of flesh and bones. The opening part of "Gravedigger Sacrifice" is just ruthless aggression, death metal violence, fast, obscure and I guess this might be the most brutal of all Maim’s songs so far. Think of Sepultura’s “Morbid Visions”, think of Repugnant’s “Epitome of Darkness”, Carnage’s “Dark Recollections”… What a killer tune, this should be Sweden’s national anthem for fuck sake. And “Covet Death” or „Screams from the Mutilated” or “Purged Through Napalm” deliver even more cruel and brutal bloodbath.

But I personally prefer Maim in those slower and more hmm… atmospheric, if I can use this words, fragments, like the beginning of “Morbid Desecration” or some parts of “Evil Smell of Death” and “Nuclear Funeral” (A “Leprosy” worship in it??!!!) or the awesome instrumental “Crematory” – they have amazing, morbid and freezing riffs, which combine the cults of Nihilist, Autopsy and first two Death albums into one stinking zombie. Absolutely killer shit and it’s a shame that Maim doesn’t play like that more often. I love the creepy mood in those parts and man, this is something that can be played on my funeral (where of course I’m hoping to rise from the dead and eat all those attending the ceremony hehe). Maim again proves that they may not be the most original of all bands, but they have a great ability to create the sinister mood and to compose killer, amazing riffs and this is their greatest strength. And metal in general is all about the riffs, right? They make us bang our skulls; they force us to play the air guitar. Maim also has those memorable sing-along choruses, which distinguish each song and make them slightly catchier… And so they proved that they rightfully have the place in the pack of leading Swedish death metal bands and along with the likes of Bastard Priest, Death Breath and Bombs of Hades (to these three acts I can compare Maim most) plus Morbus Chron and Tribulation they are the name to worship.

One more thing, which I need to underline also is the production of “Deceased to Exist”, which is raw and filthy, with very old school feeling of course and which has an awesome sound of live recording, very vital and if you close your eyes, you may think the band performs these songs right in your room. And so there’s just one more questions to answer, one which I asked at the beginning – does “Deceased to Exist” prevail over its predecessor? Well, it a tough one, but to be honest I’d rather call it even, although I may have some more sympathy for the astonishing debut, as it came out at the time, when this old school revival was just starting and this LP crushed me unexpectedly, coming out of the shadows like Freddy Kruger. Don’t be surprised though if after listening to it, you’ll visit the nearest graveyard and start digging some graves looking for something to eat! All in all, rotten human flesh is so sweet?! 666!

Standout tracks: “Crematory”, “Morbid Desecration”, “Deceased to Exist”, “Gravedigger Sacrifice”… or let’s just mention this whole fuckin album!

Final rate: 90/100