Artist: Diabolic
Label: Olympic Recordings
Release Date: 11/18/03
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Title: Infinity Through Purification Artist: Diabolic Label: Olympic Recordings Release Date: 11/18/03 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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4 | ||
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4 | ||
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
This is my first experience with Diabolic on CD. I’ve seen them quite a few times because… well, for a while there it seemed like they were on every tour. And while the band never made too much of an impression on me in the live arena (not necessarily their fault, I’m often drunk with divided attention at shows), I think their latest disc is winning me over.My impression from their live show was that they’re another middle-tier death metal act that is neither incompetent nor overly impressive. On disc, however, the band’s diversity comes through much clearer. It’s rare that a band can be this brutal and still incorporate a spectrum of sounds, a feat I consider much more impressive than the softer ‘mainstream’ parts that many bands utilize to ‘expand’ their sound.
"One word review: Brutal." Diabolic’s songs aren’t overtly catchy and they avoid anything that might be referred to as ‘groovy’, but they hit like a sledgehammer and perform at a much higher level than ‘middle tier’. Their songs rely on shifting tempos and a tapestry of different sounds and textures, but all of these differences fall into the same brutal spectrum. Diabolic are a perfect case in point that you can have diverse music that is also heavy as fuck and unrelenting. They remind me of peak years Morbid Angel in their ability to experiment with different sonic formulae, but they remain an act in and of themselves.
The reputation this band has been acquiring in the underground is well deserved and I suggest anyone with a fondness for deep-throated, blasphemous, extreme death metal add this disc to their collection posthaste. I, for one, am going to hunt down the rest of their catalogue and listen with renewed interest the next time I get an opportunity to see them live. One word review: Brutal.
Death's Review:
"Sure, this is face-melting brutal death metal, but there are some exquisite melodic guitar leads and some incredibly complex and expressive drumming too." There are two sides to this Diabolic album, and really, two ways to view the band. The first way to perceive them is that they are another decent, Florida death style band, not really breaking new ground but good enough at what they do to appease the small but loyal audience of metalheads who are still looking to snap up further reasonably competent examples of the sound. That band gets three skulls from me, maybe two if they don’t do a good job of it. But the other way to perceive Diabolic, the four skull way of approaching it and the way that I’ve ultimately settled upon, is to listen a bit deeper. It is then that you will begin to appreciate the complexity of the record, to appreciate the subtleties of the performance. Sure, this is face-melting brutal death metal, but there are some exquisite melodic guitar leads and some incredibly complex and expressive drumming too. The songs aren’t all that catchy, but there is definitely a little something extra going on here to help Diabolic rise above the norm. Nothing too different overall, mind you, you’ve definitely heard all this before. Diabolic just does a very good job of doing what they do. And if you’re into this sort of thing, this is a pretty good example of it. So Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Monstrosity fans, take note: this one is worth your time.
Hel's Review:
Diabolic is one of those bands that you know, but can’t quite remember many details about them. At least that’s how I’ve thought of them until now. I suppose that’s a product of seeing them just once, on a big multi-band bill, which is the only encounter that I can bring to mind. So here I am, finally sitting down and checking out their latest album, Infinity Through Purification.
"Death fiends should certainly include this one on their “to do” lists." And what do I find? On the surface, it could well be mistaken as very standard death. But upon closer aural examination, it is rife with seriously technical guitar solos, which in and of itself makes this remarkable. The riffs overall are a notch above the norm and the rhythm section is devastating. While the production is not pristine, it is better than average and enjoyable to listen to.
Each time I listened to this disc, the time absolutely flew by. Frankly, I’m not entirely certain that’s a good thing, as my time always seems scarce enough anyway, but it was pleasant company while it lasted, so we’ll count that as positive. Death fiends should certainly include this one on their “to do” lists.
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