Rex Shachath

Hailing from Belfest, Rex Shachath take their curious moniker from the Hebrew word meaning "ruined," as these kingly Irishmen take the rusted crown of true old-school death metal. The quintet's most obvious touchstones are old Grave and Autopsy, but in truth they delve deeper into the back catalog of Dismember, Master and Righteous Pigs. Vocalist Dave Connolly enlisted Overoth guitarist Andrew Pennington and drummer Jay Rogers, while Sadisture alums Eddie West and Jonathan Francis round out the group. After a short intro to set the atmosphere to the appropriate shade of dark, the title track blasts forth like hellhounds to the slaughter, with Connolly's guttural throat gurgling ghastly epithets. But the band also revel in their mistakes, which is especially evident in "Seven Serpents," when Rogers is slightly behind the beat during his transitional fills. His kick drums don't exactly match the tempo of the guitars in "Statues of Death," but herein lays the beauty of Rex Shachath's honest old-school sound. The musicianship of "Blind from Birth" and "Follow the Bastard Prophet" is tight enough to satisfy any naysayer, as the six-song Sepulchral Torment EP is only the beginning of Rex Shachath's retro death strike against the hordes of overproduced, dime-a-dozen bands.