Vociferous - Vociferous (2009)

Hearken back to the roots of black and death metal, to an age of early Bathory, Hellhammer, Possessed, and Venom. Somewhere in Poland, four scraggly haired youths are listening closely, building the foundation for what would 20 years later form Vociferous. The self-titled debut album drops a few years after the band's self-titled demo, and features a few of those tracks and many more. This is a barbaric record, intentionally unpolished yet exuding darkness like an open sore. But if you're one of the Old Guard, Vociferous is likely to harden your lives with its nostalgic brutality and honest grit.

This is all raw, grinding guitar rhythms, scratchy wild solos and the hoarse vocals of Hellscreameross. You'll witness the slower occult grooves of "Goat Blood" and "Carnifage"; the blasting black chaos of "Morbid Hunter" or the old school death metal that opens "Funeral Pyre". Some of the tracks late on the album seem to wield a crisper, savage tone that was possibly recorded at a separate date. Vociferous pays a worthy tribute to its influences without completely ignoring a lot of the carnal black, death and thrash since that time.

Highlights: Christian Pest Control, Morbid Hunger, Funeral Pyre, Beer In My Hand

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/vociferous666