MEMORIAM
Rise To Power (Reaper Entertainment)
For those unfamiliar with “death metal legends” Memoriam, it’s time to take a deeper dive. Having formed in 2016, their legendary status stems more from their lineup, containing former members of Benediction and Bolt Thrower. With that established, what does new album Rise To Power have to offer? Quite a lot, in fact. You’d expect the ferocious riffing and the occasional nod to Celtic Frost, but they have the ability to hit the brakes on occasion, giving them a groove which takes them into Obituary or even Merauder territory.
You wouldn’t call Memoriam melodic by any stretch of the imagination, but they can flex that particular muscle, as on The Conflict Is Within and All Is Lost – which offer another layer to compliment the brutality. Memoriam have not broken any new ground, but Rise To Power is as good a death metal album that you are likely to hear this year.
words CHRIS ANDREWS
