A look at The Cleansing's roster reads like a who's who of Danish death metal history, as the band features current and former members of Corpus Mortale, Exmortem, and Panzerchrist, among others. For the most part, The Cleansing is the update to the band Usipian, whose 2005 debut Dead Corner of the Eye generated some buzz a few years back. Four of the members have forged ahead with this new project, a hybrid of roots brutal death metal and a slightly more technical edge (though never showy or bewildering). The band reminds me of a mix of their Danish counterparts Panzerchrist or Exmortem with a healthy dose of Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal.This is a band whose forte is its ability to create very punctual death metal rhythm with razor like efficiency. Tracks like "Insects in the Void" and "The Prodigal Son" weave choppy, progressive death metal riffing with a suitable amount of discord to create a frantic, neurotic womb of misdirection and calamity. They also get adventurous with tracks like "The Domino of Phantom Effects" with its dark ambient/acoustic intro, or the grating, grinding "Architectural Infinity" with its great, almost industrial vibe to the riffing during some sections, meshed with some sinister death metal. The band's experience and professionalism translate well into their musical aptitude, though restrained, they are capable of fluttering into a manic lead on a simple whim.
The mix of the Poisoned Legacy is punchy and well adapted to saddle the blunt hammer vocals of Toke Eld, and the material sounds like it would crush in the live environment, breaking a great many human bones in the dance pit. I'll admit that I didn't love this album...there were few tracks or even riffs which I wanted to revisit after a single listen. But a few spins of the album in its entirety are assuring enough that fans of semi-technical modern death metal would appreciate the effort, the grooves and the interesting leadwork. A competent debut.
Verdict: Win [7/10]
http://www.myspace.com/thecleansingnet
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