From The Depths
From The Depths
[Dismal]
When I first got this band's album years ago as a dub, I wasn't immediately
impressed. However, by the third listen to that now-worn out tape, I was
quickly becoming a huge fan of this band. From The Depths is based in Ohio
and released this self-titled debut in 1996 and seemed (to me) to never
gain much attention. Hopefully they will get the recognition they deserve
with their more recent offerings, although this will always be my favorite
as it is a peek at the band's raw early days.
'From the Depths' is an album that melds death metal and black metal with intelligently written keyboard compositions to create an original brand of heavy extremity containing the perfect amount of atmosphere (as in "Curse of the Scarecrow" & "Apparitions of Myself". There is a hint of that '90s Swedish sound, similar to At The Gates, but not pronounced enough to discredit FTD as being rip-offs. Far from it--'From the Depths' cold-blooded, steel-spined American death metal, but with a subtle European influence.
Vocalist and lyricist Malcolm Judas Anthony incorporates all manner of extreme metal vocal stylings, from growls to rasps to screams and screeches, oftentimes utilizing unique clean and spoken vocals. Anthony's lyrics are equally as insane as his guttural eruptions. Each song reads like a dark fantasy, such as "Curse of the Scarecrow". If you listen to it at night in the dark, it's the kind of story that would have you glancing over your shoulder every now and then. Unfortunately, he's no longer a part of the band. His vocal and lyrical styles were half of the band's appeal. The newer material is still top-notch musically, but the vocals aren't quite as, er, distinctive as Malcolm's. (If anyone knows what Malcolm Anthony is up to, please email me!)
The remaining members--quite a large troupe pooled their talents to create this record--provide a brutal, memorable, yet very atmospheric backdrop for Anthony's maniacal ravings. There are speedy blasting sections as well as chunkier grooving double-bass sections. The three short instrumentals, out of 14 total tracks, are treats all unto themselves. Positively haunting, melancholic pieces of music, well-used by spacing them out amongst the other more aggressive hymns.
© 1999 goden
'From the Depths' is an album that melds death metal and black metal with intelligently written keyboard compositions to create an original brand of heavy extremity containing the perfect amount of atmosphere (as in "Curse of the Scarecrow" & "Apparitions of Myself". There is a hint of that '90s Swedish sound, similar to At The Gates, but not pronounced enough to discredit FTD as being rip-offs. Far from it--'From the Depths' cold-blooded, steel-spined American death metal, but with a subtle European influence.
Vocalist and lyricist Malcolm Judas Anthony incorporates all manner of extreme metal vocal stylings, from growls to rasps to screams and screeches, oftentimes utilizing unique clean and spoken vocals. Anthony's lyrics are equally as insane as his guttural eruptions. Each song reads like a dark fantasy, such as "Curse of the Scarecrow". If you listen to it at night in the dark, it's the kind of story that would have you glancing over your shoulder every now and then. Unfortunately, he's no longer a part of the band. His vocal and lyrical styles were half of the band's appeal. The newer material is still top-notch musically, but the vocals aren't quite as, er, distinctive as Malcolm's. (If anyone knows what Malcolm Anthony is up to, please email me!)
The remaining members--quite a large troupe pooled their talents to create this record--provide a brutal, memorable, yet very atmospheric backdrop for Anthony's maniacal ravings. There are speedy blasting sections as well as chunkier grooving double-bass sections. The three short instrumentals, out of 14 total tracks, are treats all unto themselves. Positively haunting, melancholic pieces of music, well-used by spacing them out amongst the other more aggressive hymns.
© 1999 goden