If rotten, primitive Doom / Death is what you are looking for then you are in for a treat with US cult act DERKETA’s first proper studio album whose crushingly heavy sound will doom you to death just nicely. Originally being founded back in the late 80s DERKETA have achieved a well-deserved cult status as they were among the earliest Death Metal bands to feature a female vocalist and actually have a complete line-up consisting of Death Metal ladies only these days, quite cool I think! If you know the “Goddess Of Death” (2003) compilation which offered a nice overview of the band’s older recordings, you will be delighted to hear that the band has not stepped away an inch from its stylistic path anno 2012. Influences from proto Death Metal like HELLHAMMER shine through on this almost 50 minutes long opus as well as classic Doom like BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS all drenched with a funereal, gloomy and foreboding atmosphere and early 90s Death Metal brutality and gut stomping groove. Basically, more or less the same invincible musical recipe that spawned the glorious early UK Doom / Death (PARADISE LOST debut in particular), gave birth to still active genre masters ASPHYX, AUTOPSY and remains still relevant today best proven by the overwhelming reactions on Japan’s COFFINS. While Sharon Bascovsky (guitars, vocals) asked me to point out during this review that the band was not happy with the album’s final mix especially in the drumming and guitar department and will present a remixed version on the “In Death We Meet” vinyl, I actually think only the drums could have sounded a bit less “live-in-the-rehearsal-room”-like. Especially during the few faster passages it gets quite rough now and then but I definitely prefer this “live” sound over drums that have been triggered to utter soullessness and sterility. The guitars, however, sound fine in my humble opinion and rip through your ears in a heavy, raw and dark fashion. Topped off by Sharon’s trademark growls and roars and flawless songwriting especially on the more compact tracks like ‘Last Rites’ or ‘Rest In Peace’ – the 10 minute opening track is a bit too long if you ask me – “In Death We Meet” is 110% untrendy, unpure and uncompromising Doom / Death for those who like the fact that this genre can be atmospheric and captivating while using rather simple tools and negating any kind of innovation. The GIRLSCHOOL of Death Metal are back! www.derketa.com, www.facebook.com/pages/Derketa/119717731416888