CoC : Engorged - Where Monsters Dwell : Review

Engorged - _Where Monsters Dwell_
(Razorback, 2005)
by: Xander Hoose (7 out of 10)

Engorged's main trouble with their latest album has nothing to do with their musical ability: the production of _Where Monsters Dwell_ is too unfocused to give the album any punch. If you're into death metal, it's not hard to recognize the skill involved in crafting the nine songs found on this album. Apart from the distracting (though amusing) "Transformers" samples, Engorge move through the songs with blazing riffs and a good pace. The tempo changes and different vocal styles give the songs more singularity, and also prevent the 4+ minute songs from getting boring. That's not to say that all songs are strong though: "Chaingang" doesn't match the level of the other songs, while on the other hand the two minute long "Abominus" rates among the best songs. In the future, I'd love to see more of these songs: brief but loaded with energy and aggression. Closing song "Return of the Living Dead" is by far the most '80s thrash influenced song on the album, and shows us Engorged's versatility from another angle. Still, coming back to the point I made at the beginning of the album: the production gives _Where Monsters Dwell_ a hard time. The fuzzy sound doesn't do the album justice, and I'm seriously wondering how good this album would have been with a crisp Haunted-esque production.

Contact: http://www.engorged.net

(article published 28/4/2005)

ALBUMS
3/31/2003	A McKay	8	Engorged - Engorged