REVIEW: DEVASTATING ENEMY – The Fallen Prophet

 

DEVASTATING ENEMY – The Fallen Prophet

Twilight Records

A couple of years after the release of their debut EP, The Gods of Reason, and after gaining considerable experience through numerous live performances at clubs and festivals, the Austrians DEVASTATING ENEMY felt ready to unleash their debut full-length album, The Fallen Prophet. The record incorporates all the elements the band members appreciate in extreme metal, filtering their influences through their own perspective and creating a sound that is both diverse and distinctive.

Musically, DEVASTATING ENEMY fall under the broad umbrella of modern death metal, although their approach is far from one-dimensional. At its core lies melodic death metal, which is seamlessly blended with more brutal and extreme aspects of the genre. The band further enriches its sound with numerous thrash metal influences, noticeable metalcore touches, and even occasional black metal-inspired passages. The constant presence of melody gives the songs a memorable identity, while the aggressive riffing and deep guttural vocals provide the necessary weight and intensity, resulting in a sound that is both complex and highly dynamic.

The musicianship displayed throughout the album is impressive. The twin guitars deliver sharp, memorable riffs alongside well-crafted and technically proficient solos, while the rhythm section provides a solid backbone with relentless blastbeats, crushing breakdowns, and tight, energetic drumming that keeps the momentum high from beginning to end.

On the vocal front, the band's singer demonstrates notable versatility by employing a wide range of techniques. In addition to his deep guttural growls, he delivers convincing high-pitched growls and metalcore-style screams, all of which complement the album's aggressive nature. The clean vocals, however, are the one aspect that fails to convince me. While they add variety to the material, I find this particular style of clean singing somewhat formulaic and out of place, diminishing the impact of some otherwise excellent compositions.

Overall, The Fallen Prophet is a strong and confident debut full-length that showcases DEVASTATING ENEMY's songwriting abilities, technical skills, and willingness to combine different elements of extreme metal into a cohesive whole. Although there is still room for refinement, the album makes it clear that the band possesses both the talent and the potential to establish itself as a notable name within the modern death metal scene.

Christine  Parastatidou