Rating: 8.9

Country: Finland

Release Date: 2004

Record Label: Woodcut

Track list:
1. Sanctuary Of Incineration
2. Abomination
3. The Art of Butchering
4. Masterpiece of a Morbid Mind [mp3]
5. Victim No. 52
6. Through The Eyes Of A Murderer [mp3]
7. Nightmare In Apartment 213
8. Dr. Lirium Orders: Suffering
9. Pathologist's Perverse Fantasies
10. The Sunrise

Total playing time: 45:08

Band Website: De Lirium's Order

De Lirium's Order - Victim No. 52

S.M. Nekroc - Guitars
E.R. Insane - Battery
Dr. Lirium - Guitars
Corpse - Vocals

Finally, a Melodic Death Metal band that actually plays Death Metal. With my opinions on Melodic Death being as they are, it's very difficult for me to not label these guys "Death/Thrash". I don't actually recognize "Melodic Death Metal" as a valid description of the music, or even as a legitimate sub-genre. Most of the Melodic "Death Metal" bands these days seem completely infatuated with clean/female vocals, acoustic interludes, choirs, synthesizers, flowery orchestral arrangements, and grandiose pretentious artsy bullshit. (See Kalmah, Saturnus, Unmoored, etc) Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoy 'Victim No. 52'. Thankfully, there's more to De Liriuim's Order than can be said for bands that seem to be cut from the same cloth.

When I first heard their 'Morbid Brains' Demo several years ago, I was impressed with both their songwriting capabilities, as well as their abilities as musicians. To be completely honest, it surprises me to see them signed to such a small european label. A few songs from that Demo appear here, most notably being "Abomination", the second track on this, their debut full-length album for Finnish label Woodcut Records. Primarily, the music on this record is rhythmic, jarring Death Metal. A myriad of extremely well executed palm-muted jackhammer riffs, an abundance of pounding double-bass, layered high/low vocals, and some fret-shredding melodic lead guitar work make up the aural assault that is 'Victim No. 52'. The lead guitars, and some of the backing rhythm lines are where you'll find the melody here. However, as I stated before, it's not extraneous coffeeshop wank melody, it's a melody that actually contributes to the depth of the song, and propels it forward. Crescendo is the name of the game here.  A mid-paced phrase is repeated and built upon, until the result is up-tempo thrashing Death Metal.

The lyrics seems to be focused on actual events and the personalities involved, the majority being serial killers and their victims. A sort of intelligent gore. They describe the manners in which the victims died, as well as try to sort of psychoanalyze the morbid mind of a serial killer. The lyrics are notable because they, in and of themselves, make for a fairly interesting read.

The fact that De Lirium's Order are primarily a Death Metal band is what attracts me to them the most. The melodies are more a by-product, rather than a concerted, focused effort. The album opener; "Sanctuary Of Incineration", is mid-paced, mostly staccato piece. It's not really the most entertaining song here, but it boasts some decent riffage and definitely gives you a good idea of what to expect in the next half-hour. "Abomination" follows with massive march-like rhythm, and a vocal cadence that makes me want to raise a tankard of ale and sling my arms. I'm willing to bet that this one is a favorite of the band to play live. The third track; "The Art Of Butchering" doesn't really get very good until the last minute or two of the song, but if the merit of this album were to be judged solely on the strength of that last minute or two... It would be a 10. The lead guitar in this one is very impressive. "Masterpiece Of A Morbid Mind" is another song taken from their Demo, and it's less of a task to listen to. It's quite straightforward Death/Thrash, with a nice melodic break thrown in at the 1:15 mark.

We're almost halfway through the record now, and on to the title track "Victim No. 52", which is likely the most fast-paced song on the album.  It's tempo rarely deviates from full-speed thrashing, with the exception of the bridge and chorus riffs. The verse/chorus/verse mode is repeated twice, then we're treated to an incredible guitar lead courtesy of S.M. Nekroc. This one is most certainly another highlight in an album full of "rewind" moments. 'Victim No. 52' has the makings of greatness, and we can likely expect little less from them after three releases (two were self-released) of unshakable quality.

Virtually every track has something to offer, and 'Victim No. 52' is an intelligent, listenable album overall. The melody doesn't detract from the aggression in the least, so this will definitely appeal to fans of bands such as Deranged or Thorium that typically reside in the heavier end of the spectrum. Those who favor their flamboyant limp-wristed finnish countrymen may not take a liking to De Lirium's Order as well.  Although they do have their fare share of credibility with the brutal crowd, the music isn't exactly challenging enough to attract only purists. 

May 10, 2005