Kingdom - Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground

KINGDOM - Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground (GODZ OV WAR Productions CD 2018)

Even before I got this album in my hands, I already heard quite a few positive opinions about the music. So my appetite for killer death tunes was strong! Personally, I'm fan of the previous Kingdom albums, not necessarily their debut CD, which I think is the weakest piece of Kingdom discography... but both "Morbid Priest of Supreme Blasphemy" and "Sepulchral Psalms from the Abyss of Torment" are killer! Did "Putrescent Remains of the Dead Ground" fulfil my expectations? Well, it kind of did, because it's good album. But I have to say that I liked such "Sepulchral Psalms..." more. I'm not disappointed, because Kingdom as always delivers great portion of bestial death metal devastation and I will be listening to this album a lot. But will I praise it for being the best piece of death metal of the year or something like that? Not necessarily. 

Kingdom recorded full length, which is a natural follower to their previous efforts and should not surprise their supporters with anything new. So, you'll find here venomous and utterly blasphemous, morbid metal of death in the very vicious and bestial, but also brutal vein. The music is quite simplistic, almost savage and primitive, but it's exactly that kind of primeval sound and character, which you would expect to hear from Kingdom. Just old school and uncomplicated, yet interesting death metal. There are many killer riffs, I have to say. Especially, when Kingdom stops blasting like crazy, but allows some slower tempos to infect their music, then I like the effect the most. In such "Putrescent Remains" they even came up with some slightly melodic and memorable parts, reminding me early Immolation – and maybe this is why I think it's one of the best songs on the album. But my real favourite and most skull-crushing piece from this CD is song called "Niemy krzyk zagłady". It's the slowest track, but its heaviness, viciousness and insanely good riffs stand out from the whole album and even from the whole Kingdom discography. And it's an instrumental song, what makes it even more valuable for me. Great stuff. "Grobowiec ludzkości" is another truly killer and exceptional song – and once again I have to say that I like Kingdom music, when the lyrics are Polish written. The vocals in these tracks sound more harsh and poisonous, more evil! And the blasphemous lyrics sound great in Polish language! It's cool, because usually I'm not big fan of Polish lyrics in extreme music, but there are always some exceptions and Kingdom is one of them. There's almost black metal feel to some of these riffs and vocals, but it only makes the music more interesting. Oh, listen to also "Martwa ziemia" with that Morbid Angel-esque riffage! Nice! 

There's a cover also! I don't like it at all. I like Immortal's "Blashyrkh" in its original version (but I haven't really listened to "Battle In the North" in quite many years now, to be honest), but I think that Kingdom's version is not so much interesting. They mixed up with the tempos, added these ferocious blasts... I understand if they wanted to make something more unique from this famous track... but I don't like the result. Not how they arranged it, but also because it completely lost the cold, frosty atmosphere of the original. Sorry, I rather skip this song. But other than that, this is a very good and worthy album. Get it and begin the annihilation! 

Standout tracks: "Niemy krzyk zagłady", "Grobowiec ludzkości", "Putrescent Remains", "Martwa ziemia" 

Verdict: 80/100