CoC : Victim - Faces of Death / Cocktail of Brutality : Review

Victim - _Faces of Death_ / _Cocktail of Brutality_
(Independent, 2001)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)

Germany's Victim have made their first two self-produced CDs available as a double-CD set. Of the two CDs, _Faces of Death_ is undoubtedly the superior one, despite the inferior production (especially the drums, which exhibit a hollow, demo-sounding quality at times). In spite of this (or maybe because of it, as it did not impede my enjoyment of this album to any great degree), _Faces of Death_ is a good album that still maintains its place in my CD player and would have been worth a 7.5 on its own. It also displays more variation than its follow-up _Cocktail of Brutality_, although still staying safely ensconced within the realm of brutal death metal. Be sure to check out "A Tribute to Macabre", which according to your disposition features either an insanely catchy or mind-numbingly irritating riff! A spoken word intro detailing various gruesome statistics sets the tone for what is to follow on _Cocktail of Brutality_. The production is better than before, yet they have lost some of the passion and intensity of the first album. Nevertheless, songs such as "Serial Licence" and "Bloodshed" are still worth a listen, though the album itself is only worth a 6. While neither exceptionally technical nor terribly original, Victim are worth seeking out. Considering the amount of assembly line power metal acts on the rosters of some of the larger labels, it is a mystery to me why they are still unsigned.

Contact: Benjamin Jahn, Bismarckstr. 22, 95444 Bayreuth, Germany

(article published 14/1/2002)