CoC : Thanatopsis - Within A Conciousness Unborn : Review

Thanatopsis - _Within A Conciousness Unborn_
by: Adrian Bromley (not rated)

With not much more to work with than a CD and a mailing address/phone number, I was unsure of what was to be expected from listening to Thanatopsis' 5-song CD, entitled _Within A Conciousness Unborn_, which was handed to me at Foundations Forum. Much to my suprise, I found this Berkeley, California based band's music to be very much like Testament/Iron Maiden old school metal, with a dash of Sepultura vibe - and that was a bonus. The music here ranges from calm musical interludes to heavy riffs, pounding bass drums, and screams of anger and frustration. From the atmospheric and winding directions provided by opener, "Rendition", to the stomp and brutishness of "Unjust" and "Bitterness", Thanatopsis' CD is worth looking into. My only problem with the band's music is that at this point in the mutation of metal, their music doesn't seem to be up to par with what is currently happening; in short, it's all been done before. Oh well, someday they may move on. As for now, they're doing what they are doing.

Contact: THANATOPSIS, P.O. Box 4386 Berkeley, California

(article published 1/10/1995)