Rating: 8.1

Country: Germany

Release Date: 2004

Record Label: GUC

Track list:
1. Prelude
2. The Awakening [MP3]
3. Dying World [MP3]
4. Redemption
5. Ground Zero
6. Monster Inside
7. Lambs to the Slaughter
8. Sanctuary Denied
9. For All These...

Total playing time: 39.05

Band Website: Deny The Urge

Deny The Urge - Subsequent Confrontation

Jens Fricke - Vocals
Henrik Osterloh - Guitar, Vocals
Olaf Dannenberg - Guitar
Sven Nothdurft - Bass
Kai Ludwig - Drums

After a long sombre cello prelude, "The Awakening" ravages you with a powerful raw guitar sound with harsh overtones, low crunch and obese depth. Immediately reminiscent of Nile (and sharing some common ground throughout with dark US brutal death such as Incantation and Immolation), deceptively the album is actually more Central European in its style. There are plenty of blasting Vader harmonies, a lot of jagged Iniquity dirges and a few detuned Kreator moments that pay tribute to the German roots of the band.  

Aside from one very dull track ("Lambs to the Slaughter"), the songs demonstrate a wide appreciation of the fundamentals of full-bodied death metal, both vintage and modern, whilst throwing in enough rhythmic and melodic unpredictability to keep you alert and on your toes.

The leads are emotive and classic, particularly over slower epic parts. The vocals are throaty, clear and charismatic. However, the sound of the drum kit is weak and opaque, reducing the overall impact. Also, the band need to accelerate more often beyond their predominantly mid-paced comfort zone, in spite of being able to craft solid but highly memorable material in this way ("Redemption", for example, or the lurching horror that is "Ground Zero"; guaranteed to put a snarling grin on your face).  

Hopefully the band will deny the urge to get respectable well-paid jobs and instead continue their promising musical destiny that has begun with such conviction.

April 1st, 2005