Revel In Flesh - Death Kult Legions

REVEL IN FLESH - Death Kult Legions (CYCLONE EMPIRE - LP 2014)

I must say that for a short minute I was quite suspicious if it’s a good idea when the band like Revel In Flesh releases three albums in three years and also spice their discography up with several split EPs (four being released the same year as the mentioned third album). I mean, can they be able to keep the quality with such quantity and still record excellent, guts ripping music and avoid being thrown into some useless and mediocre stuff? Can the band be still able to compose awesome, memorable songs and avoid fillers? Can it be still so exciting, especially if it comes in times, where we’re flooded by similar type of bands? All that leads into one question – can we still enjoy “Death Kult Legions” and was Revel In Flesh able to maintain the high quality of their previous albums? I was listening to this record several times (too many times I guess hehe!) in the past days and I am very happy to announce that the answer to all those questions is “YES”! More so, Revel In Flesh just released their best album and there are simply some of their most killer songs here. And that’s great!

Of course, if you’re looking for something innovative, then “Death Kult Legions” is not an album for you. If you feel slightly fed up with that whole new wave of old school death metal and with the Swedish sound of such music, then again “Death Kult Legions” is not for you, because you will simply feel bored and unenthusiastic about it. This album won’t have anything to offer to you. But if you’re just a death metal fanatic and love the traditional take on this music and especially the Scandinavian sound is your passion, then I highly recommend you getting “Death Kult Legions”, because this is one of those almost perfectly executed examples for this style. I know that some moaners will always complain, that this is just a copy and there’s nothing better than the old bands and old albums and that for them it is silly that a German band plays and sounds like a Swedish from 20 years ago. But do I have to worry about such meaningless complain and stupid reasons? No. I don’t give a fuck and surely won’t waste my time on them. Personally I love such music, I love that sound and I don’t care if the album was recorded yesterday or in 1993 or if the band is from Stockholm or from fuckin German shithole. The quality of the music will always prevail and damn, I simply love albums like “Death Kult Legions”.

In the recent years bands like Entrails, Puteraeon, Graveyard, Brutally Deceased and Undead Creep really proven that the classic death metal in the Swedish vein can be still very exciting, when played by new bands. And Revel In Flesh is surely among the best of them. “Death Kult Legions” is one of those albums, which is filled with killer songs and which blows the head off of every fanatic of this music. Great groove, amazing harmonies, many memorable melodic parts, but also aggression and dark atmosphere… all is here. And I love albums, which combine all these ingredients in such excellent way, you know? Like here, on side A, we first have a song called “In the Name of the Flesh”, which is truly killer, aggressive death tune (one of the two / three my favourite songs on the album, definitely!!!!), surely one of the fastest and most powerful songs here, but still with that memorable details like chorus… and then we have “When Glory Turns to Ruin”, which is the first melodic, almost kind of epic song on the album. And again, what a fantastic track, how great are these riffs, harmonies and vocals! So, it is a nice mix. And basically each song is nailed really well, it is fantastic listen and I am surely not disappointed. Along with the mentioned “In the Name of the Flesh” I must really mention such tracks like “As Souls Descend” and “Frozen Majesty”, as well as “Levitation” and “Cryptcrawler”, which are again slow, epic and melodic masterpieces and “Hurt Locker” for its sheer, relentless aggression. Yes, very good achievement from Revel In Flesh and I really recommend this album to all fans of such music. It surely is one of the best albums of 2014, in my opinion, so it is enough for reference, I suppose!

What I hate about “Death Kult Legions”? Well, it is so easily listenable and catchy album that I listened to it too many times hehe! How many times can I play the same vinyl over and over again? There are many more waiting in the queue hehe! Just kidding, of corpse. But I guess I am only not so impressed with the cover choice this time. I don’t give a crap about Manilla Road, never listened to them, never will. Sure, for some it is more interesting choice for the cover than another Dismember or Nihilist cover… but I don’t like it, period! Other than that, an almost complete record for me. Ouuuuuuhhh, and maybe the artwork is too green hehe!

I give 88 to a German band, why not? hehehehe!

Standout tracks: “In the Name of the Flesh”, “As Souls Descend”, “Frozen Majesty”, “Levitation”, “Hurt Locker”, “Cryptcrawler”

Final rate: 88/100