Century Media
2006
Horrors Of Hell
About This Album
Although they've often languished in the shadow of more famous satanically inspired death metal bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide, Vital Remains have gradually managed to carve out a healthy underground career for themselves, despite their rather isolated home base in Providence, RI. And it's into the dark, uncharted bowels of that state's rinky-dink studios (most frequently the curiously named Atonal Studios -- oh, the irony!) circa 1989-1991 that 2006's Horrors of Hell transports willing listeners, by collecting 13 tracks from three separate demos laying the foundation of the Vital Remains story. Both sides of 1991's horrendously produced (but doubly influential to tape traders because of it) Black Mass single initiate this blasphemous ritual with the descriptively macabre tandem of "Of Pure Unholyness" and "Frozen Terror" -- both reminiscent of early, Morbid Visions-era Sepultura and, of course, Morbid Angel. By comparison, the five ensuing recordings from the previous year's Excruciating Pain demo almost sound overly produced. As evidenced by the likes of "Human Sacrifice" and "Nocturnal Blasphemy," they are also distinctly thrashier and slightly more melodic in general approach -- not unlike Dark Angel, Sadus, and Slayer, whose elemental teachings are blatantly splattered all over "Fallen Angels" (listen to the Lombardo-esque hi-hat and freakish Hanneman/King-styled solo runs).
Track List (try tracks 4,7,11 and 12)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

 
report abuse