Carnation — Where Death Lies
From the cover straight through to the last measure, Where Death Lies is fast, old school death metal. Capturing the classic vibe of early Scandanavian death and putting it through some serious tempo paces, Carnation's latest is 40 minutes of speed and aggression. WIth riffs that at times make you shred along, and others just smile and enjoy their speed, the guitars on Where Death Lies are the highlight of the album. Between buzzsaws and near squeaky clean solos, the guitars act as many extra voices to back the gruff lead utterances. Comfortably close to Domination-era David Vincent, the vocals reinforce the old school sound (just don't watch any Carnation videos :'( ). Tossed a bit further back in the mix, there's a dynamite bass that struggles to get its voice heard throughout the guitar tumult. When it's audible, though, dynamic and intricate lines are on display. Rounding out the sound are the drums, which help propel Where Death Lies' furious and frenzied approach. Fast, tight, and well recorded, the drums stand out, and would normally be the highlight, if it weren't for the fantastic guitar work. Starting with "Iron Discipline," Carnation rips and blasts right through their forty minutes, ending with the well constructed "In Chasms Abysmal" (well, aside for the out of place bit of clean singing). Fine tuned over numerous recent tours and festivals, Carnations chops have seriously improved over the past two years, and Where Death Lies is a testament to their dedication.
Straight forward, fast, and fun, Where Death Lies is a nice step up from a very solid debut. Well played and well recorded, this album is pure death metal, no frills, no experimentation. Sometimes you just want a tasty, standard burger, and this is that. It's what you want to stomp, fist pump, play loud, and shake away the COVID blues.