These days when it comes to death metal, we're spoiled for choice. First, there is just the sheer number of bands dedicated to faithfully personifying humanity's destructive potential, hubris, and ire through sound. Second, there is an astounding number of flavors. Are you looking to encounter the full extent of humankind's brutal animal nature? Cannibal Corpse will strip your carcass of its casing and leave your bones to bleach in the sun. What if you want something that reflects humanity's intellect and ingenuity, but which can still snape limbs and pulverize muscle into play-doh? In that case, you could do worse than Gojira. What about music that is as suitably angry at the continued betrayal of the public interest by politicians? I mean, take your pick, from Terminal Nation all the way back to Kreator, there is no end to the contempt directed at those who will turn you out to please their corporate masters. But what if you just want to rock to some badass, heavy riffs? Then go, my child, with the grace of Lamb of God. At least the last three of these sensational categories combine in the aesthetics and themes of Greece's Revolted Masses.
Their latest LP Rise sees the band enmeshed in the ranks of heart-pumping, groove metal and mosh-rock, geared towards collapsing every stadium around the Mediterranean, one circle-pit at a time. The previously cited Lamb of God and Gojira are easily the best analogs for their sound, especially on the mechanistic, hell-fire breathing, furnace of dismay "Drown in Apathy," although they do have other influences. If you don't pick up on the Trivium tempering on "Moral Panic," you should probably get your ears checked, and the Bay-Area thrash spill of the opening part of "Stand In Line" is certainly worthy of Testament or Death Angel's recent shred-craft.
My favorite track on this album continues to be the opener though, there is just something so sad and anguished about the guitar work and the way that the vocals trade punches with the grooves on it. Still, it never feels like it gives up or loses its resolve. Eventually, it breaks through the apathy and entropy to seize hold of the golden strands of a new day, riding off into the horizon on the hooves of some brisk leads and stony percussion. Rise is a surprisingly vibrant death metal album that will hopefully help you arise the occasion, whatever it may be.
