CEMETERY URN
Urn Of Blood
(Modern Invasion Music)
31:27min

Having been previously unfamiliar with CEMETERY URN prior to seeing them several times on the recent Blood of the Damned tour in the U.S., I was absolutely devastated by their live performance. CEMETERY URN play sadistic and cruel traditional Death Metal with an element of Australian bestiality. Listening to them, it is impossible to pinpoint their influences exactly, though their style refers to the foundations laid by Death Metal pioneers such as SADISTIC INTENT, MORTEM, ASPHYX, etc. They do not simply regurgitate formulaic Death Metal, however. The guitars evoke nothing less than pure Death Metal evil while the drums at times incorporate the disorienting bestial blasts that so many classic Australian bands have utilized to extreme and violent results. The union of these paths has created an unholy abomination known as “Urn Of Blood”, CEMETERY URN’s first album. To place the band in context, their guitarist / bassist is Andrew Gillon of Australian Deathrash marauders, ABOMINATOR while drums (on the recording, at least) are handled by veteran Matt Skitz (FUNERARY PIT, DESTROYER 666, INVOCATION, ABRAMELIN, etc.). Finally, wretched and murderous vocals are summoned by none other than Damon Bloodstorm of BESTIAL WARLUST notoriety (during their live set CEMETERY URN even cover a CORPSE MOLESTATION song). Of course, one would expect that a line-up this strong is certain to produce powerful results and one listen to “Urn Of Blood” confirms this expectation. The opening salvo of ‘Forging Deviant Beasts’ sets off the controlled fury that CEMETERY URN continues to deliver throughout the entirety of the album. Every piece of this machine known as CEMETERY URN works together in a masterful way. What renders this album superior to the vast majority of modern Death Metal is the use of technical ability without being overindulgent. They do not make an effort to demonstrate their technical ability for the sake of show, nor do they intentionally shy away from utilizing the expert skill they have developed over the years. The members of CEMETERY URN recognize that the effect of the song is of paramount importance, but also understand that technical playing is, at times the most effective means of achieving the most punishing results. The guitars, in particular, are perfectly executed and sound utterly monstrous. Few Death Metal guitarists I have heard recently can compare to the level of agility Gillon possesses. Seeing him perform live was further reinforcement of his command over his craft. Each night I saw them play, he decimated every solo and always in a manner both tasteful and precise. Moreover, his playing is so attacking and calculated that he never needs to overly distort the guitars to conceal imperfections. There are no imperfections here. Unbelievers need only listen to ‘Sadistic Murder’ to understand this. The effect of the vocals should also not be understated. Damon Bloodstorm is a legendary vocalist and here conjures up some of the best “vokills” of his career. Perfectly attuned to the instrumentation, the vocals accentuate the song structure at the most critical points and are absent at moments when the guitars and drums carry the weight of the track. Few debut albums over the past 10 years or so are as well-conceived and executed as “Urn Of Blood.” In fact, were it not for the fact that each member in the band has already proved himself in classic line-ups, it would be hard to believe that an album this strong could be the first release by a new band. Unholy, maniacal, and punishing, CEMETERY URN should not be overlooked. www.myspace.com/cemeteryurn

Jason Campbell

Jason Campbell

Related reviews / interviews:
CEMETERY URN - The Conquered Are Burned (Michael Tak)

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