Metal labels really missed out on signing Arkansas death troop Vore, in whose arsenal dwells a colossal old school evil chug that so many bands who are more concerned with speed dont have or just lost over the years. The sheer gravitas of their third full-length, Maleficus, simply puts most of Vores peer bands to shame. After some gloomy atmospherics, the title track brandishes the barbed riffing of guitarist/vocalist Page Townsley and rhythm guitarist John Voelker, lashed to the metronomic blast beats of drummer Remy Cameron. "The Line That Divides has a quick tempo that degrades at the end to an even slower death march; its such a well-designed move that you cant help but be impressed. "Threshold of Empowerment spotlights a wailing guitar solo, and again the calculated syncopation of the guitar and drums is nothing short of amazing. "Misery Embrace recalls old Winter, and its this doom-iness that distinguishes this band from the nameless hordes. The brief "Ashes, an acoustic instrumental, is mindful of Metallicas "Nothing Else Matters and expands Townsleys talent. "Fall unto Chaos sports a classic breakdown much like Floridian bands Monstrosity or Deicide, with the same underpinnings of Covenant-era Morbid Angel. With simple yet effective Deicide-like artwork, Maleficus definitely puts the "slow & painful back in death metal.
(Subsonic)Vore
Maleficus
BY Chris AyersPublished Jun 1, 2006