DENIAL FIEND – They Rise, released back on October 16, 2007, on Ibex Moon Records, is as perfect a recommendation for your Horror Metal listening pleasure this Halloween season as any. The Death Metal growls, groans, gurgles and screaming are intertwined so fantastically with the sounds of spurting blood and vomiting, on this exceptionally horrific album. Listening to They Rise actually spooks me out more than watching any Exorcist sequel. (The original Exorcist movie was and always will be scary-bad-ass for me).
Denial Fiend, (calling Valrico, Florida their home base), takes the Horror Metal/Death Metal combination to the maximum and they don’t allow a millisecond for you to catch your breath or check your pulse. Maybe you can try to do this between songs, only I don’t recommend it, just kick back and enjoy the bludgeoning drumming, chugging and riffing while the Death Metal grooves pummel you senseless. This veteran “supergroup” of Extreme Horror and Death Metal, should hopefully realize they have made an album that is sure to be a cult favorite for dark ages to come. Metal be thy name, They Rise kicks some serious Horror Metal ass.
Which song on They Rise is my Metal favorite you query? It’s a no brainer… Return To The Tombs Of The Cursed Blind Dead, of course. Just the song title alone is a winner in my Metal book. I actually find myself singing along to this Extreme and groove saturated, Horror Metal gem. The chorus that belts out this song title leaves me in Metal awe, in that it just sounds so damn good to thine ears. Flesheater is no slouch song either. Heavy, fast and brutally Heavy again is Flesheater, what more can I say?
There is a hint of Horror Punk within the framework of Denial Fiend’s Death Metal assault. Gang vocal chanting with a nod to vintage Misfits is common amongst this album, with Flesheater, The Day Of The Undead and They Rise as examples. Blazing guitar leads are abundant, with Cover Me In Blood having plenty of them. The guitar solo that is heard in Cover Me In Blood is the stuff of Old School Death Metal-take it or leave it carnage. Ripped Inside Out is just freaking scary. Metal be thy name. “I Ripped You Inside Out”! Whoa. Plus, as an Extreme bonus, the sounds of gore does rear it’s heinous head within this song too. Whoa again.
The same appalling and nightmarish subject matter that box office Slasher films boast are on They Rise… the only difference being the lack of any macabre and grotesque “visual” effects. Who cares about visual effects anyways, when you can listen to Denial Fiend. In all Metal honesty, I’d rather listen to They Rise than watch a bunch of actors in a Slasher film… (I do get squeamish at gross visual effects sometimes). Listening to Horror Metal and Death Metal is an acquired taste I have developed over many years, I just don’t understand why I still have to watch a Friday The 13th sequel with one eye closed… go figure.
Frankenstein Conquers The World is a whirlwind of Horror Metal… fun. (Gasp), did I just use the word “fun” in reviewing They Rise? I sure did and the lyrics to Frankenstein Conquers The World are to blame. It’s a great song that’s built on a full-scale blitz of Death Metal grooves, resulting in an instantly memorable listen for me. Let The Blood Flow starts off with a chain saw revving up… then the nightmare from hell begins and that’s a Horror/Death Metal compliment. Whoa, this song is F’n heavy, I really don’t know any other way to describe it. I can’t get all academic on reviewing Denial Fiend’s They Rise album… I don’t think this band would want it that way either.
The Day Of The Undead puts the bloody lid on They Rise, with plenty of saluting to the living dead happening. Good stuff. “It’s the day of the undead, it’s the end of everything”… good stuff again. As this song comes to a close, an eerie warning of “the dead coming back to life” and the precautionary measures that should be taken is heard, from a news broadcasters concerned voice… a creepy vibe spills all over the place as I listen to it. An undisputed creepy vibe at that. This song could and should be included on a major motion picture soundtrack for a Living Dead sequel. There, I’ve made my Horror Metal appeal to Hollywood.
In the end, Denial Fiend does accomplish two things: 1. their songs lyrics do send shivers up and down my Metal spine and 2. they play some very damn good Horror/Death Metal with unrelenting and Extreme Heaviness. Extreme, Horror and Death Metal fans should be able to wrap their ears around Denial Fiend and their 2007 album They Rise without a wince. Old School Hardcore and Thrash Metal fans are invited to check out Denial Fiend’s They Rise as well… there’s plenty of speed and heaviness to go around. Happy Halloween… all you ghoulish Metalheads!
DENIAL FIEND as they appeared on They Rise:
Kam Lee – vocals
Terry Butler – bass
Sam Williams – guitar
Curtis Beeson – drums
* For more info on Denial Fiend, just click the link below:
Track Listing For They Rise:
They Rise
Return To The Tombs Of The Cursed Blind Dead
Flesheater
Cover Me In Blood
Ripped Inside Out
L.O.D.
Son Of The Creature From The Black Lagoon
Frankenstein Conquers The World
Let The Blood Flow
Children Shouldn’t Play With Deadthings
The Day Of The Undead
Long Live Denial Fiend and Horror Metal.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey’s Metal Album Recommendation For Your Halloween Listening Enjoyment: OBITUARY – DARKEST DAY – These Death Metal Legends are not fooling around with their June 30th, 2009 release. Darkest Day is without Metal hesitation, one of my top three albums of 2009… spanning all the Metal genres.
Plus, the Grim Reaper wants to warn you all… the brand new SLAYER album World Painted Blood gets released on Tuesday, November 3rd. I am counting down the minutes in my Metal mind to this great moment in Slayer history.
SKELETONWITCH released their second full studio album with Prosthetic Records, Breathing the Fire, on October 13, 2009. I could not resist the Metal temptation and need of picking up this new CD on my visit to f.y.e. today. As I stood there staring at the hellish and downright evil artwork on the front cover of Breathing the Fire, it dawned on me… the Metal wait is over for this new Skeletonwitch. Yeah, very often enough I want my Metal pretty damned fast and extreme in every musical facet. All twelve songs on this album are extremely worthy, I can’t point out any skip overs whatsoever. Skeletonwitch does not fall short of Extreme Metal – every song on Breathing the Fire is blended with the very best of several Metal genres.
Alright, I am more than thrilled at this new Obituary album, “Darkest Day”, I am enthralled with Metal jubilation. Death Metal jubilation. I am also reminded as to why I am lured into the heaviest, most Metal bludgeoning genre there is… it is Obituary. These guys are not about making nice with the trend setters… forget about it. Obituary is Old School Death Metal lathered with extreme. Understand, however, that Obituary delivers grooves by the Death Metal bushels. From it’s deadly beginning track – “List of Dead” to it’s deadly ending “Left To Die”, I am going out on a Metal limb here by stating… “Darkest Day” is one of 2009’s best Metal albums period. Being one of the true forefathers of the Death Metal genre, Obituary lays their Death Metal cards out on the table here, you either are with them or with them. This is not a Death Metal band that you just want to try out, if you buy an Obituary album, you are either a fan or your about to become one. 
I am Metal psyched about another great Metal album coming out in this month of September of 2009, Children of Bodom – Skeletons In The Closet
I cannot wait to get my hands on this new album and crank it up extremely loud, on September 23, 2009, I will. I am just very curious as to how the Britney Spears cover of Oooops! I Did It Again… is going to sound like. What about the Kenny Rogers song? Man, that should be a Metal hoot. Knowing the way Children of Bodom play their Metal, I am confident they will rage these songs into Extreme Metal bliss. Still, I cannot believe I am writing about Britney Spears, Kenny Rogers and Children of Bodom in the same post. One thing is for sure here, Children of Bodom can never be accused of not being diversified. The cover songs represent a darn cool list of bands here… Slayer, W.A.S.P., Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Scorpions, Ramones – these are legendary bands without question. Thank you, Finland, for the fine Metal export they call Children of Bodom.
Arch Enemy is one of my favorite Death Metal bands. Brutally heavy from every musical angle, yet still melodic, Arch Enemy needs no introduction to die hard Metal and Death Metal fans. For those new fans of Arch Enemy who are still looking to purchase a CD from their Death Metal catalog, a great starting point that will not set you back a ton of loot, is their EP “Revolution Begins”, (released on August 31, 2007). This EP was released in 2007 to promote their studio album “Rise Of The Tyrant”, (released on September 25, 2007). EP’s or CD singles, (as they are sometimes referred as), are a cool opportunity to own a few songs of a Metal band, (a Metal test run for fans, if you will). If you are like me, EP’s are a must to own – especially EP’s of my favorite bands. These EP’s more often than not, include studio and/or live songs that are not found on any regular studio or live album. “Revolution Begins” includes the cover of the Queensryche classic – “Walk In The Shadows”. This cover version from Arch Enemy, thrills me just as high as the original version from the great Queensryche. I am Metal serious about that. I revere the Queensryche original, still I revere this Arch Enemy version too. Arch Enemy gives “Walk In The Shadows” a darker, more creepy sense about it… Death Metal style.
I have an appetite for the most Extreme Metal Music out there. Job For A Cowboy is without question, a healthy dose of Extreme Metal. Death Metal is this bands calling card. Playing every musical instrument in their band extremely fast and heavy is an understatement. Blast beats and the infamous cookie monster vocals are lathered all over the songs on “Ruination”, (released on Metal Blade Records, July 7, 2009). So, with all of the expected characteristics of being an Extreme – Death Metal band aside, Job For A Cowboy does prove to me one thing… they are more concerned about global and societal troubles than one might expect. I am not going to admit, I can actually make out the lyrics to these songs, from the vocals of Jonny Davy. Nope, instead, I have the assistance of the sacred liner notes, that come with the complete lyrics for every song on “Ruination”. For me, not understanding the words being pronounced from the Death Metal growls of Jonny Davy comes with the territory of this Metal genre. With this genre of Metal, the lead vocalist is just as equally important as any of the musical instruments being played. It is the anger driven vocals that gives the songs on “Ruination” their intended extreme force and purpose, if you will. Jonny Davy on vocals is equivalent to a wasp nest being disturbed by a broom stick. His vocals will swarm all over your Metal soul, clutching it, beating it into shape and then slapping you in the face with it. Job For A Cowboy delivers a lesson in Extreme – Death Metal whoop ass that has me saying… thank you sir, can I please have more?
Just when I thought that Cannibal Corpse’s “Evisceration Plague” was the lightning strike of an Extreme – Death Metal album of 2009, well, now I have my own personal
I still have my ability to hear, thank goodness, especially after I listened to the new release from the Death Metellars from Atlanta, Georgia, – DAATH. This is my kind of Metal cup of tea – a full blown onslaught of Death Metal, that rages through all eleven new songs like an out of control meteor, ready to strike the desolate and cold planet Mars. The new lead singer for DAATH is Sean Z., one listen to “The Concealers” and I am very convinced that he is up to the task to be a standout Death Metal front man. Sean Z. on vocals just seems to engulf the attitude and strength of the lyrics, belting out with the desire and hunger that the entire Metal world should find captivating.
If there is one band that I can identify the entire Death Metal genre with, it is Cannibal Corpse. Why do I adore Death Metal? I easily embrace the straight up approach and punishing sound that comes from this music. I really do not care in the least if I cannot make out the lyrics coming from lead vocalist George Fisher. Are the vocals still important? Of course, the cookie monster vocals are the trademark identity of what Death Metal is supposed to sound like! Therefore, if I was to choose my favorite Death Metal band, it is Cannibal Corpse. (Arch Enemy comes in a very, very, close second). Cannibal Corpse and the entire Death Metal genre will probably never receive mainstream media acclaim – who cares. Any Death Metal band could never expect any gratitude from anyone except their fans. That is what makes all Metal so special.
It is an obvious Metal music marriage, the paranormal being put to lyrics in Metal songs. Any King Diamond album supports this statement, that is for certain. Horror and the paranormal rules the Metal world’s lyrics with it’s mystery, shock, and imagery. This to me, is one of the great attributes to Metal music, the paranormal and horror has given personality and life to throngs of Metal bands as: Alice Cooper, Misfits, Kiss (with makeup), Lordi, Rob Zombie, Slipknot, Danzig, W.A.S.P., Cannibal Corpse and of course, King Diamond again. The list could go on and on, regarding which Metal bands represent the horror and paranormal subjects best.
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