Release Date: 2001 Record Label: Bruchstein Records Track list: Total playing time 34:02 Band Website: Spawn |
Spawn – Systems Full of Victims
'System Full of Victims' is the debut album of this German brutal death metal band playing music brutal death metal mainly in the American style. Their sound isn't to far fetched from their brutal country mates Harmony Dies and Maledictive Pigs - both of them playing heavy, chunky, semi-technical brutal death metal and go on blasting and plodding away keeping their beloved Cannibal Corpse in mind. Like them even Spawn is majorly influenced by Cannibal Corpse. To be precise, for the most part 'System Full of Victims' sounds like a cross between Cannibal Corpse's - 'Butchered at Birth' and Houwitser's - 'Embrace Damnation'. Some of the parts sound so similar, it seems as if they were literally picked up from those albums as they were. Also there are few parts where one can hear some early Hypocrisy, Sinister, and Blood - although very rarely (I guess I heard the mp3 of only that particular song having the Blood part heh). So as you can see, they're not immensely original but so what, its fuckin' solid and well executed that I'll tell you. The music is mostly mid-paced but its heaviness makes up for it. There are ample variations present in the form of pace and tempo changes and they have also squeezed in some nice old school parts and even a few techy-jazzy bits done rather well keeping sluggish style and heaviness in mind. They also have some massive chugs and oppressive hooks in the album which feel like a large heavy hacksaw lumbering through your skull but slowly (making you experience every painful second of it with each of its oscillating movement), forcefully (applying ass-deflating pressure) and meticulously (not overdoing it which would render it redundant). And over that you are imposed with the intimidaing monstrous vocals of Matt that are deep, fat and hoarse much akin to the Houwitser vocalist. During such moments there is absolutely no respite. You will be pulverized. Period. With a stupid looking tank and skeletons and stuff below it, the artwork kind of goes with the war inspired lyrics but I still think it's quite lousy. But hey, there this awesome small baby somewhere below which looks to me like he's making a conscious effort to cover his ears, perhaps implying that the album is indeed very heavy. The slightly crude, beefy and thick production for which the band is partly responsible is very pleasing and exaggerates the band's heaviness. On the downside, obviously there is a dearth of originality and apart from the crushing chugs and hooks, there arent many quality riffs and solos. Also given their size, they tend to move along lethargically. If you think you can manage the heaviness of an elephant standing on your chest and don't mind being buried under its looming unoriginal defecation, then you really need this.
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