CoC : Devilyn - Reborn in Pain : Review

Devilyn - _Reborn in Pain_
(Listenable Records, 1999)
by: David Rocher (6 out of 10)

Devilyn's first album, 1997's _Anger_, had introduced this Polish band as technically competent purveyors of unfortunately deja-vu death metal in the veins of Morbid Angel and Deicide, which just tended to lack personality; additionally, I didn't feel that Devilyn succeeded in delivering the evilness or the unhallowed atmospheres that an album like _Covenant_ exudes. Their second release, _Reborn in Pain_, despite boasting more intricate, mature compositions and musicianship, sadly falls into the same sort of trap -- sure, _Reborn in Pain_ is a good, extreme death metal album, but its energy fails to smack me in the face the way bands like Vader, Cryptopsy or Deranged do, and their music just doesn't strike me as being as dark as they would like it to be. Devilyn are indeed skilled musicians, extreme composers, and probably live their death metal to the very end of their toenails, but they don't provoke the massive and addictive rush of adrenaline that some referential bands tapping the same musical vein as them, such as the aforementioned Morbid Angel or Vader, unfailingly deliver. Despite these unconvinced observations, _Reborn in Pain_ nonetheless represents a vast improvement on _Anger_, and since Devilyn are far from being as overrated or big-headed as Deicide, it is more than likely that they will evolve to spawn a fine release in their future career.

(article published 15/1/2000)