In nature there is life and there
is death; there is beauty and there is harshness; there is splendor and there
is terror. Our world is patterned in dichotomy,
and it should be no different with music.
Brutal Cross is a death metal band that exemplifies this truth, as they
cross gurgling vocals and tonal ruggedness with blissful symphonic music. At War,
the band’s third full-length album, is the pinnacle of their career and an
archetype of diversity.
The
Polish-turned-Irish band is the brainchild of Tomasz Sulowski, who performs all
of the instruments and vocals. Some
one-man bands are decidedly lacking in at least one area, but to Sulowski’s
credit, I wasn’t even aware that he was the only one behind the reins until I
did some research. The vocals are a
midrange growl that could find a home in either death or black metal. One of the most impressive aspects of the
record is definitely the guitars. They
have a meaty, crunchy tone that harkens back to the glory days of death
metal. Melodic riffs abound on At War, and some of these sections bring
to mind Death’s Sound of Perseverance
with their tenacity and clout. There
also seems to be a degree of influence from Scrolls-era
Mortification and early Lament. The
listener will find symphonic and melodic elements interspersed amidst the
traditional elements of death and black metal, which makes Brutal Cross stand out from
among the myriads. The keys grip you and
don’t let go, adding an element of melodic diversity to the record. The band is decidedly Christian, weaving faith-inspired lyrics throughout the music.
The
mixing quality is a bit rough around the edges, although with this caliber of
death metal that’s not really an issue; for some, it may be a positive
element. However, the instrumental
balance bothers me somewhat. For some
reason, a number of the symphonic portions seem to be a bit too loud, and the
low end is more or less buried. At War contains 14 tracks of varying
lengths, without any overly long songs and only one short instrumental (“Outro”). Songs like “Cult” and “Occult” have some
creepy instrumentation, and this serves to keep the record interesting towards
the middle. “Born Again” showcases a
driving, melodic intensity, and “War Cry” is the closest that the band comes to
thrash metal. There is a bit of clean
singing on the tracks “Silence on the Cross” and “At War.” I am unconvinced that this suits the bands’ overall
style, and as a critic I would have to say that this element may only distract
and put off some death metal fans. At War recovers with “Sea of Despair,” a
well-layered track that pushes towards an eerie guitar solo, and then closes
out with a short instrumental.
Fans of
death metal will find it well worth their time to check out this relatively
unknown band. Brutal Cross delivers an
intriguing meld of death metal and melody, all without sacrificing creativity
or quality. Truly, Brutal Cross is aptly
named – they are a vehicle of brutality and destruction, infused with hope and
beauty.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
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Cool review,
ReplyDeleteMyself, I don't hear any Mortification myself in their music.
This is classic late 1980s traditional heavy metal meets death metal.
Thanks for your reply! I think I saw the Mortification influence mainly in some of the riffing, as it was similar in style. If you haven't listened to the whole album yet, I would definitely say that some songs have more than others. Check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crvm15XLiM4
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