Vital Remains: Let Us Pray

Vital Remains' debut album "Let Us Pray" is a crushing display of death metal that has a lot going for it. First, as I've stated in other reviews, the songs on this album are on the long side, which would be a trend they would continue for most of their career. Just as I have stated before, I have no problem with the length as just like "Icons of Evil" the music and song writing on "Let Us Pray" is formulated to fit such lengths. At no point do I feel like I'm listening to two completely different songs, nor do any portions feel like filler. As for the music, there is a significant change of style compared to their later years. The biggest being that Glen Benton is not on vocals. "Let Us Pray" would be fronted by Jeff Gruslin, whose vocal style is completely different, which is a good thing. His vocals fit perfectly due to the second style difference; the music. The sound on this album is nowhere near the frantic, blazing speed of either Benton fronted affairs and for good reason. Benton's vocals play well with those styles of insane riffs and blastbeats. Jeff Gruslin's vocals on the other hand, have a more paced and methodical sound to them, which is recognized by the similarities in the music.  Slower riffs and more precise drumming complement Gruslin's style, allowing them to mesh and form the crushing sound they sought to create. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of blastbeats and up tempos riffs to be had on this album, but it's the more technical melodies that can be heard that are more prominent, creating a progressive atmosphere throughout the album. Old school death metal fans will dig this for sure, but if you're like me and your first experience with the band was during the Benton era, don't miss out on their earlier releases. This album may offer a different flavor, but it's no less appealing.

Highlights "Of Pure Unholiness" "Ceremony of the Seventh Circle" "War in Paradise"

Rating: 4

Vital Remains: Icons of Evil

More of the same? Yes, and no. "Icons of Evil" is another hour plus release with rather long songs. By this point, I'm not sure why people complain about the length of said songs. It is Vital Remains' prerogative; they've been doing it since the very beginning (except "Into Cold Darkness"). The main complaint with length is that the music suffers from long, drawn out sections that are either repetitive or deemed filler, which can be said for any band. That criticism had some merit on their previous release "Dechristianize", but on "Icons of Evil" I believe they addressed that very issue. The music here is still very bombastic: speedy guitars churning out riff after riff, drumming with insane speed and of course Benton's demonic vocals. The difference on this release is that the overall execution of the music and song writing seems to have been fine tuned. Now, the music seems to fit the overall length of the songs, with plenty of solos, transitions and hooks that all fit together as one complete sound. "Dechristianize" had a few songs that sounded as though they were meant to be two separate songs, but decided to bridge them together as one. "Icons of Evil" showed a lot of growth in the four years between releases. If you enjoyed "Dechristianize" you'll love "Icons of Evil" 

Highlights: "Born to Rape the World" "Icons of Evil" "Till Death" "Scorned"

Rating: 4

Vital Remains: Dechristianize

"Dechristianize" is Vital Remains' 5th studio album and the first with front man, Glen Benton of the legendary Deicide. Now, being a huge Deicide fan as well as a Vital Remains fan, this was a no brainier for me.

First, the vocals are what you would expect from Glenn Benton, so if you're expecting some sort of transition of sound or vocal style, you won't find it here. Secondly, the music on this release is straight evil. The speed at which the songs are played is insane. Machine gun drumming with riffs upon riffs and solos that would make Satan stop and head bang. The guitars on this release are killer. Speed aside, their sound is varied throughout the album. Yes, they can play the classic death chug riff well enough, but they are not limited to just plodding along with a single sound. At times their style is very melodic and even technical to a degree, making them, in my opinion the true highlight of this album. I suppose you can't have one without the other in that Benton's vocals, combined with insane drumming and fantastic guitars make for a very enjoyable release.

I can't in good conscious end without mentioning the most notable aspect of this album: the length. "Dechristianize" is 9 songs (one being an intro), 60 minutes. The biggest complaint this album has is that, the songs are simply too long. That the songs start strong, but they lose their luster because of the length. On one hand I agree. Many of these songs may have benefited from being two minutes shorter than they are, as a few tend to drag on a bit, but I don't think that makes them unlistenable. That being said, I am quick to point out Vital Remains' "Let Us Pray" and "Forever Underground". These two albums are held in high regards throughout death metal circles and yet, the songs on those albums (particularly "Forever Underground") are pretty lengthy as well. I enjoyed those albums, so I'm not going to complain about song length on any one of Vital Remains' albums. Is this a perfect album? Nope. Do the lengths of the songs take away from the overall sound? Yes and no, but it's not as though the songs are a constant rehash of the same riff for 7 minutes or are bloated with three minutes of samples or long drawn funeral doomesque guitar sections. I was a fan when I picked this up in college and I'm still a fan of this album today.

Highlights: "Dechristianize" "Rush of Deliverance" "Devoured Elysium"

Rating: 4