FESTER
A Celebration Of Death
(Abyss Records)
54:29min
Upon first listen of FESTER's "A celebration Of Death", I still didn't know how to describe their sound. First off, don't worry. This is no "Shoegaze, avantgarde, post-modern Metal" or anything like it. It is not a new NAKED CITY either. But there is definitely a Black Metal background here, which relies on the raspy vocals, almost a trademark of the aforementioned sub-genre. What FESTER accomplishes fully in this, their third full-length release, after an 18 year hiatus, is atmosphere. The whole album has a crawling, creepy feel that infects your brain slowly, but successfully. Their brand of Death Metal is heavily infused with Doom Metal and may I dare say some Sludge / Stoner, due to the raw production. Their guitar and bass tones are thick, aided by a good organic drums sound. The whole album has that 90s feel, since the band never really gets on full speed and backs up into a mid-paced, reminiscent of early ASPHYX. The depressive guitar melodies and the shifting of heavy guitar riffs and pounding bass stand out. This album runs for a full hour. And maybe that is its only drawback. It gets tiring and somewhat boring if you are not fully into it as a complete voyage. Most of the songs get to the 6 minute mark effortlessly. And the formula is repeated good inside this thing. Even some of the songs possess a great groove and others have a vocal shift from the obscure style, onto a full on Death Metal blast. This is a good album if you are looking for different music, yet still heavy and crushing. All further info on FESTER at: www.facebook.com/pages/Fester/204292849614033, www.officialabyssrecords.com
Alfonso Perez
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