CoC : Desecration - Murder in Mind : Review

Desecration - _Murder in Mind_
(Copro, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (4 out of 10)

Repeated listens to this alliteratively titled album suggested to me that Desecration need to fix three major problems if they want to produce anything above average. The first couple consists of their production and playing. In this respect they're not doing too bad -- in fact, when they play the groove-oriented mid-paced parts, their kickdrum sound and guitar crunch does them proud, but their blast-snare sections are messily executed and tinnily produced. However, this just requires a bit of practice and the twiddling of a few knobs: not a problem. Where the band need to have a serious rethink is in their overall approach to songwriting. _Murder in Mind_ is simply not an original or outstanding album in any way whatsoever in this respect. The band's most prominent 'influences' (i.e., who they seem to rip-off most riffs from) seem to consist of Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse. The techniques originally associated with these bands, which have now become so cliched, are mercilessly reeled off during _Murder in Mind_'s 32 minutes. The band even throw in some samples relating to sick events, but this vaguely Carcass-esque technique does not serve to raise the profile of _Murder in Mind_ more than a few inches above the cesspool of generic rubbish which countless bands dive into every day. With such releases as _Despise the Sun_, _Formulas Fatal to the Flesh_ and _Exterminate_ already with us and new albums from Cryptopsy and Gorguts, among others, still on the way, _Murder in Mind_ is an even less appealing way to expend hard earned, or otherwise, capital.

(article published 8/7/1998)

ALBUMS
25/5/2000	P Schwarz	7	Desecration - Inhuman

GIGS
7/6/1998	P Schwarz	Immortal / Angelcorpse / Desecration	London's Underworld Holocaust