Hailing from Japan comes old school death metal act Invictus bringing to us their latest offering The Catacombs of Fear. The Catacombs also happens to be their debut LP, released on January 24th, and it's a rip roaring filthy time. With great mixing/mastering courtesy of Takanori Kubo out of Studio Choask Inc, produced from Obliteration Records and catchy riffs aplenty, The Catacombs is a true OSDM offering from this young group.
I know, I know, it's still way too early to be talking albums of the year, but this record slaps me fully in the face. It has everything you could want from death metal; plenty of tremolo picking, blast beats out the wazoo, the characteristic cookie monster growls and some technicality. That's not to say there aren't any surprises, as Invictus throws a time signature change at you, melds technicality and primal rage or switches riff mid-song to make for a tasty ear treat.
The style of the death metal offered steers more towards the American side rather than the Swedish flavor. Think Suffocation to get an idea of it. As this is their first LP in their career, there isn't a lot of material to look back at, but Invictus have delivered a hell of an album with The Catacombs. They're ambitious, punishing ears and slapping faces with their intense gruesome musicianship.
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