Reviews : Implicit Obedience (2012)

Willowtip Records

From the “Land of the Rising Sun” comes DESECRAVITY, a whirlwind of musical ferocity and auditory savagery. Inspired by fellow speed-freaks Hate Eternal, Origin, and Krisiun, DESECRAVITY’s debut album Implicit Obedience is a pulverizing exercise in extremity.“This stuff is really crazy. It’s like death metal and twisted, insane shit; if I had to compare it to something, [I’d say it’s] in the vein of Origin as far as really technical kind of stuff.” — Erik Rutan

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Metal Review (USA)

Few things are more satisfying than discovering a death metal record that ticks all the right boxes, yet still feels oh-so-fresh. An album that scratches that perpetual itch for skull-liquifying devastation, but also triggers an owl-necked “Where the fuck did this come from?”

In this case? Japan, via Willowtip Records. An intriguing combo, to say the least. Willowtip has been resurgent of late, and Japanese bands have a long history of battering the establishment from cunning angles. Implicit Obedience, Desecravity’s debut, deals in wholesale domination; it’s a full-on assault that bounces around the ropes like a weirded-out Hate Eternal trading blows with a warp-speed Immolation. And the coolest part? These dudes can fucking hang.

Desecravity display an intelligence that belies their single-mindedness; their tempo changes are insanely fluid, allowing Implicit Obedience to maintain an electric unpredictability throughout a perfectly-packaged thirty-two minute running time. Blastbeats are abundant but never suffocate, lending a maniacal sense of velocity to the too-fast-to-headbang-so-I’ll-just-vibrate burner “Hades.” (Amongst others. There’s not a lot of respite to be found here.) Contrast this flamethrower-in-a-wind-tunnel insanity with the ball-crushing groove of “Demonize the Old Enemy,” and you’ve got a band that possesses a knack for knowing exactly when and fucking how to pop vertebrae like bacne.

Still, the sickest thing about this record isn’t the colossal Erik Rutan production or Yujiro Suzuki’s dead-ass bellowing. It’s the fact that Implicit Obedience pisses on conventional brutality and actually gets better as it goes on. The wild punishment of “The Collapse of Religion,” the spine-peeling spirals of “Extinction With Hatred,” and the somber machinegunning of “Dark Dimension” close the album violently. Desecravity takes elements of practically everything that rules about death metal right now, twists them beyond human comprehension, and delivers them with horrifying and lethal precision. It’s complete and utter death metal madness.

Take note, be warned…insert your hype-ass cliches here. Desecravity is the real fuckin’ deal. Lock in and destroy.

Score:8.5/10
Jordan Campbell

Apoch’s Metal Review (USA)

Japan has seen a good number of Metal bands that have found worldwide distribution, or at the least have made their way to store shelves, physically or digitally, in North America. It’s great to actually see this, as there are a number of impressive acts from that region which, ten years ago, probably never would have seen it too far away from their home country.

Desecravity is another group to join onto this growing list, hailing from Tokyo. Having signed with Willowtip Records, the group has finished their debut full-length offering, Implicit Obedience, a nearly thirty-four minute rather Technical Death Metal effort.

Unlike many of the technical groups today finding a higher production quality working to their advantage, Desecravity unleash a perilous, punishing assault via a thicker sound that does feel a little raw in the long run, but not by much. The guitars have a nice distortion that feels sharper amid the muddy, bass-driven audio. It stands as a nice contrast to the pulsing bass chords that really hook the listener into the strong grooves that happen all throughout the release, both in and outside some of the more technical elements, with the bass kicks of the drum kit thundering through as a strong, loud click that retains enough of a deeper sound you can feel inside your skull. The snares are a little higher in pitch as well, sounding just a little more hollow, and the cymbals are a little lower, but still clash loudly and clearly. The vocals are the standard guttural approach, but they simply sound intimidating, working perfectly with the audio and chaotic music to push into Brutal Death Metal territories, but also finds a little rasp in the background as an accompanying style that appears faintly once in a while.

Both the music and audio to Implicit Obedience is simply stunning and well executed. Each track shows the tight coordination among the band due to some of the random changes that constantly appear, though never violating the heavy brutality of the atmosphere and performance. There’s also a great deal of energy involved that makes some of the more slightly technical elements come off far more impressive than if the band just tried to show off their skills like many others of the style just love to do. “Immortals Warfare” easily stands as one of the more important testaments of the band’s abilities, hammering away at blazing speeds with a soul crushing atmosphere that changes between plenty of fast yet slightly grove influenced passages that make head banging essential while the music’s deeper, muddier sounds gives off a hopeless atmosphere that leaves you shackled to the group while the band suffocates the life out of you. This ends up being somewhat foretold by the instrumental introduction “Into the Unknown,” which sets a very ominous atmosphere. The chiming of a grandfather clock is followed by some haunting gothic sounding piano chords, and some rather generic female choir vocals, but it becomes as if you’re listening to an introduction score of an eighties paranormal-based Horror film, and one that is the perfect introduction to a band such as this, especially when live on stage.

It actually becomes really hard to top “Immortals Warfare” here, but there are still plenty of intense tracks that really try hard to do so. “Hades” is just a nonstop assault on the listener that is paved forward by a constant mid-tempo pace for the bass kicks and snares of the drum kit for most of the track. The guitars offer up some nice technicality, and there are plenty of nice transitions to offer up a little extra variety to the track outside the constant charging, pulsing beat already laid out. The vocals match the more commanding tone of the band well, losing much of the primal vibe that other songs have. As the song progresses, it does start to grow a little more chaotic, and some chords tend to get off-key towards the end to show a bit of a psychotic element being incorporated for a shorter time than the execution of the fitting guitar solo. On top of that you have “The Collapse of Religion” which seems to take some of the more technical aspects of the bands sound, and kind of mix it with a Grindcore attitude. The song seems to remain at a traditional pace for that style without really going into blast beat territory, and it even features some higher, gurgling screams in the background. There are some blasting moments that do go in and out of some Death Metal riffs and brutality, and it really becomes an interesting change of pace for the album. The song is far from bad, and even allows the bass to take center stage more during some riffs that have the main guitars backing down for that instrument. While not off the wall, this song’s overall foundation just seems to be a little more eccentric than anything, all the while never going into too much of a show off approach in the performance that similar bands generally would do.

The background scream that seems to appear during “The Collapse of Religion” does show itself again on “Extinction with Hatred,” but this track stays far more grounded into the Death Metal field without really feeling out towards other styles. There also is the rasp introduced back in “Immortals Warfare,” which seems like a more refined version of the back-of-the-throat higher scream from the previous track, but just sounds a lot better. This also becomes the staple for the rest of the album, closing with “Extinction with Hatred” that provides some more technical chords throughout and tight passages that seem to constantly be changing pace. While the brutality isn’t that, it definitely brings the album back to the start with both “Immortals Warfare,” and “Enthralled in Decimation” which is another heavy, pulse pounding track, though not quite as intense as the song that follows it. “Dark Dimension” ends it on the note, but doesn’t really feel as impressively technical, finding the band restraining themselves a bit instead of some of the more off-the-wall material that has been coming at the listener through much of the album. This isn’t to say there isn’t anything like that, as towards the end do crop up some tighter, intricate chords. It’s a subtle change of pace and a welcome one to close the release on.

Implicit Obedience is simply a great experience. There is plenty going on in the album to make sure you don’t get tired of it anytime soon, which speaks volumes about the band, their potential, and the variety on this release. The mixture of brutalizing material and technical performances that show up here are flawlessly intertwined, and sometimes other elements like the aforementioned Grindcore-esque touches do make their way into the mix. The thick, bass-driven audio really works in the bands favor, or just sets the stage for a crushing album that fans of the Death Metal genre simply must hear. Later tracks may not quite be as impressive as the ones that kick-start the album, but either way you’ll find the band’s stangling hold on your throat one you simply won’t be able to get yourself out of for quite some time. Then again, with an album this well executed, would you really want to?

Score:9.0/10

Metal Sucks (USA)

Freneticism is the perfect way to describe this insane debut from Japanese four-piece Desecravity. On par with last year’s releases from like-minded masters Origin and Hate Eternal, Desecravity crank up the guitars, toss in some groove, and display a level of dexterity on their instruments as to defy reality.

The key difference with these guys, however, is that amidst the chaotic maelstrom lies the heart and soul of true songwriters. Sure, they can tweedly-dee with the best of them, but they provide you with enough rhythm to grasp on to, which, in turn, allows you to better experience the tech-deathyness of it all. Also, some of the cleanest and best production I’ve heard on a death metal album in a long ass time.

Corey Mitchell

About.com (USA)

Unholy cow! What’s this, the second coming of old Cryptopsy, circa None So Vile!? Nope, it’s Japan’s Desecravity releasing their monstrous debut on Willowtip, a label with a keen eye for exceptionally well done, rather quirky death metal. Not only does Willowtip recognize the potential within Desecravity, but so does uber death metal guitarist/front man/producer extraordinaire Erik Rutan, as he becomes the genius behind the production of Implicit Obedience, a coup for a little known band if there ever was one.

Frankly, if you miss the heady days of technical death metal before the genre became oversaturated with self indulgent wankery and guitarists with flowing hair practicing their scales, then look no further! Implicit Obedience is a massive swirl of riffs, out and out speed seamlessly blended with jarring tempo changes, guttural vocals, a fluid bass, and a welcome mix of technical precision and, dare I say it, hooks, riffs, and arpeggios that seem to suck you in the further you wade.

Giving the album tremendous weight is the thick production, courtesy of Mr. Rutan, and Implicit Obedience is an immediate contender for tech/death metal album of the year. And we’re barely three weeks in!

Grade:A
Dave Schalek

A.V.Club (USA)

Where Abigail Williams soars, Desecravity steamrolls. The Japanese outfit’s new full-length, Implicit Obedience, opens on an epic, churchlike note, but from there, it’s all power and speed; injecting death-metal mayhem with a jazzy, almost Meshuggah-esque technicality,

the album squeals and sears as it skirts the precipice of implosion. The group’s dual, growl-screech vocals sound more like an afterthought than an integral part of the music, but this one’s all about the riff-worship anyway.

Jason Heller

American Aftermath (USA)

You ever know the feeling of being surrounded by a swarm of hornets, wasps, and killer bees? Like you know they’re around but they are in the midst of attacking you and causing you fear and distress? That’s the kind of feeling you’ll have once you listen to the debut album from Tokyo, Japan based quintet Desecravity.

This band appeared out of nowhere to me, but thanks to a reputable label like Willowtip, I am able to be aware of this band and their debut album entitled Implicit Obedience. This bands sound is a very frenetic and almost explosive mixture of technical death metal, with some elements of grindcore and brutal death metal. If bands like Origin, Vile, Deeds Of Flesh, and Hate Eternal merged together to create an almost fearful but exciting kind of metal.

The real stars of the show here are the guitars, they have a very technical feel going for them. Loud and immaculate riffs and some very modern sounding guitar solos, done very well and crafted splendid. The bass work is also amazing, when it appears, it has as much of an opportunity to be displayed as the dual lead guitars are. Drums are frenetic, fast paced, and don’t have a tendency to slow down, very blast beat laden with some insane double bass. And the vocals are mostly low and guttural, but are delivered extremely well with the occasional breakout into some evil high pitch screams.

And at first I couldn’t come around to digging the sort of cleanliness in the production, but for the most part the more I listened, the grimier and more heavier it got, so I love it.

Overall, aside from the fact that it could’ve went on much much longer, this is a debut from a band that has so much potential going for them. The cohesiveness of the music, the frenetic atmosphere, and the total package together is what makes a band like this worth coming back to again and again. This is as real as it gets.

Score:8.5/10
Armijo Out

Rock Music Critic (USA)

When the need for new music strikes me I’m like a junky sick for a fix. I start frantically looking around online for something I haven’t heard before that will satisfy my need, and I’m not always real discriminating about what I stick in my ears. If there isn’t anything that immediately jumps out at me I start trying clips from bands I’ve never heard before. Eventually I’ll pick whatever seems the most likely to please and pull the trigger in iTunes. Then I sit back, sigh and enjoy watching the tracks as they slowly download to my iPhone.

Being able to preview tracks saves me from some of the bad decisions I made when I shopped only by band name and album cover coolness, but I’ll still buy a crap album occasionally when there just isn’t anything good available. Last week offered up some great new releases by Lamb of God and Lacuna Coil, but those are both well-known bands. Last week also gave us the new Aborted which was great, but I got that from the label, which while also great, does not deliver the same satisfaction as discovering and buying an album yourself. So my impulse purchases last week were the debut by Dodecahedron and this debut from Desecravity. Both purchases turned out to be worth the money. Desecravity is a Japanese death metal band whose debut album “Implicit Obedience” was produced by Erik Rutan of Hate Eternal. If you are familiar with Hate Eternal then you already have an idea of what this album might sound like- it’s fast, brutal and technical. The production is slightly crisper than a Hate Eternal release which I totally dig, as that is my one complaint with their albums. The vocals are harsh and deep; nothing groundbreaking there, but they do the job and are seated well in the mix. For me, the aspect of the album that draws me in is the technical guitar work and how well it pops out of the mix. The drums are pretty awesome too. Have you ever played the game Katamari Damacy? It’s this simple game where you wander around an area with this sticky ball that you roll over things and as it comes into contact with items they stick to the ball. You start off rolling around picking up little things like pencils and books and as the ball gets bigger you are rolling in larger and larger items, like people, cars and houses. By that point in the game the ball is a massive maelstrom of wildly different components that all make up the whole of this oddly shaped rolling swath of destruction. I say this completely tongue-in-cheek, but if that giant rolling ball were to become sentient in a Borg-like-collective sort of way, I believe “Implicit Obedience” would be the voice with which it would speak as it mercilessly rolled over cities and continents. Wow, that was a total nerd-out there. What I mean to say is that the Desecravity debut album is pretty bad-ass and was definitely worth the cash I plunked down to acquire it.

George Washburn

CHOKING on BILE (Holland)

Death metal en Japan is een wat gekke combinatie. Er komen maar weinig echte death metal bands uit het land van de rijzende zon, maar wat er vandaan komt is vaak kwalitatief dik in orde. Blijkbaar heeft Desecravity het dusdanig goed voor elkaar dat de band is opgepikt door Willowtip, een label dat bekend staat om de hoge kwaliteit van zijn releases.

Beluistering van Implecit Obedience bevestigt in ieder geval dat we zeker met een band te maken hebben die echt kan spelen. Goeie riffs en strak spel zijn meer regel dan uitzondering en hoewel de songs wel wat druk zijn, valt alles naarmate de CD vordert meer en meer op z’n plek. Punt van kritiek zijn de immer doorratelende drums, die varieren van heel snel naar nog sneller. Ondertussen klinkt het alsof er iemand op een pakket natte kranten slaat. Desecravity is een band die na enkele luisterbeurten uitermate verslavend werkt en met de potentie die overduidelijk aanwezig is in de komende jaren daarmee kan uitgroeien tot een topper in het genre. Maar ja, noem mij eens een Japanse band die op regelmatige basis releases uitbrengt. Laten we hopen dat dit de uitzondering op de regel is. – See more at: file:///C:/Users/Yuichi/Desktop/web/releases.htm#sthash.KaX9QMkL.dpuf

Score:4/5
Wim

Meat Mead Metal (USA)

Now for some metal, and I feel kind of bad talking about a beer can that reminds me of the Allies’ triumphs in WWII and seguing into a piece about a Japanese death metal band, but we’re all friends now, right? What I’m on about is “Implicit Obedience,” the debut full-length from Desecravity.

The album (produced by Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan, who knows a few things about how to capture savagery in the studio) comes our way via hometown powerhouse Willowtip, who obviously have a knack for finding some of the hardest-hitting, most mind-blowing bands out there. These guys are no exception, and their guttural, vicious, brutal death injects a serious dose of poison into a genre that has been crippled by groups whose sole purpose it to get their shirts into a Hot Topic bin. If you’re one of those people all pumped for Mayhem festival (God help you if you are), this band will scare the hell out of you and liquefy your guts in no time at all. THIS is mayhem.

Desecravity remind me of the early ’90s, when finding new death and thrash cassettes was a way of life. That’s when you took more chances, bought based on album cover and song titles and sometimes went home with a crushing new gem. The band’s approach is heavy and filthy, but they have an undercurrent of technicality that gives everything a dizzying feel. You get crushed and spun around a million miles per hour, and once you finally get your wits about you, you wonder what just hit you. The blazing riffs, total crunch and mind-altering madness are most potent on cuts such as tricky, trucking “Hades”; “Enthralled in Decimation,” where the drumming owns your ass; hellishly grinding and furious “Enthralled in Decimation”; and cavernous and face-beating “Dark Dimension.” By the way, Yujiro Suzuki’s infernal, guttural growls match this destruction perfectly. Dude’s throat has to hurt when he’s done.

“Implicit Obedience” is a mean-sounding, ill-intentioned, skin-shredding dose of death that typically isn’t conquered by such a young band. These guys have a promising future, and as long as they keep reaching elbow deep into the cesspool of humanity for inspiration, they should remain a dangerous group for years to come.

Slug Magazine (USA)

Desecravity = Origin + Krisiun + Nile Do you look for groundbreaking, game-changing music in your death metal? If you do, you better stop. Most of the bands trying to do anything groundbreaking these days sound like a sideshow with a wet spot for prog metal or jazz or whatever other non-metallic style they’re trying to toss in with their wank-fest of an album.

Yes, Veil of Maya, Born of Osiris, The Faceless and the like, I’m talking to you. What’s my point in all this? Check out this debut from Tokyo Japan’s Desecravity?it’s a great, pure, thoughtful effort towards a cohesive brutal/tech death metal approach. At its core Implicit Obedience is a brutal death metal album more fitting in the modern approach – Origin comes to mind many times while spinning this record but so do many other bands – Hour of Penance, Suffocation, Nile, so on and so forth. Desecravity put forth a good mix of groove with pure speed in mind. There’s also a plethora of tempo changes and “techie” math type guitar leads and soloing, which this record would actually be just fine without?they’re not bad efforts, just feel out of place and like Desecravity are trying to hard to “stand out.” In the end you’re going to remember the core brutal death metal of this album, not the off kilt, mathy leads and time stops and all that other technical mumbo jumbo. “Demonize the Old Enemy,” is a killer of a cut and the bands best success with the tech styles. The debut here shows some promise, on a good day it’s a nice short burst of great guitar playing and a good n’ produced brutal death record – on a bad day it’s annoying and a tad redundant. Overall Desecravity are worth a look for the modern death metal types.

Bryer Wharton

AUX (Canada)

If you’re going to go technical, you’d better hope you’ve got the hooks to work it. Desecravity certainly sound well on their way, rushing through a sound that’s immediately reminiscent of Quebec’s Beneath the Massacre but with more of a penchant for actual songwriting.

Implicit Obedience is partly marred by the typically sterile Willowtip production, but the drums are surprisingly organic sounding given the tempo these guys consistently play at and their label’s penchant for triggering the shit out of everything. There’s a definite feel that this is a debut album, but songs like “Demonize the Old Enemy” display a unique sense of dynamics that extend beyond weedly time changes. Those are there, but the extended grooves and slowed down passages really let things build, a welcomed change from the delirious flurry created by most of their peers. The neurotic sounding “Hades” is another stand-out, blasting through at light speed while circling around layered guitar work and mind lobotomising counterpoints. “The Collapse of Religion” on the other hand sounds spastic Suffocation. This won’t be for everyone, but the potential is plain to see.

Tyler Munro

Under The Industry (USA)

Sometimes a band comes a long and just blows away any expectations you had leaving you speechless. Today, for me, that bands is Japan’s Desecravity. These guys are playing some of the best death metal with a technical edge I have heard in a long while.

The music is a hurricane of brutal druming, razor sharp riffing, slick bass, and gutteral vocals that hits all the right points without sounding old, cliche, or forced. It all flows and feels fresh, hitting you hard with brutal passages and memorable hooks. Not to mention the production (Courtasy of Erik Rutan from the legendary Hate Eternal) is top notch, packing a very solid sound with none of that murky or hollow tone that tend to dominate death metal recordings. Honestly if you’re not a fan of this type of music this is probably not going to be the band that converts you, but if you are…turn up the speakers and get ready to piss off your neighbors. You can pick up their fantastic debut album “Implicit Obedience” on Willowtip Records Bandcamp page for $7.99 and follow the band here on their facebook.

Teeth of the Divine (USA)

A handful of lesser known, lower profile releases of brutal/technical death metal have grabbed my attention of late; the likes of Pyrrhon, Nocturnal Torment, and Parasitized have shown that there is still plenty of new bands from unexpected realms delivering material to compare to big boys like Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Spawn of Possession and such, and here is the debut from Japan’s Desecravity to prove just that.

Though initially one might think that Desecravity‘s brutal, technical vortex of death metal as well as their moniker and album name implies your standard Unique Leader affair, (which to some extent is true, and certainly not a bad thing) further listening to Implicit Obedience unravels a little more. Indeed it took me a few listens to fully appreciate Desecravity‘s take on chaotic, savage death metal. And much like their moniker which you might think is a normal word, but doesn’t really exist and pulls something from other words, their take on death metal might initially be something you think you are familiar with and pulls from other sounds, but once it sets its hooks in you, you realize you might be looking at something new.

Produced by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel, etc), Desecravity certainly have Floridian bloodlines in their sound, but inject plenty of California tech brutality that can be linked to the likes of Odious Mortem, Severed Savior and of course Decrepit Birth. However, rather than display their technical chops with sweeps or nifty solo work, Desecravity‘s chosen weapon is discordant, layered, serpentine riffage and choppy, unpredictable drum patterns. And while the constant barrage of time changes, blistering technicality and salvos of brutality could initially stun some listeners into submission, the fact is Desecravity rein it in just when you think ts getting to be too much. Also, Yujiro Suzuki keeps things grounded with a steady, deep bellow(and a few odd shrieks) that by it’s deep but constant natures, gives the music some semblance of familiarity and structure, though lyrically, he seems to remain in the school of Suffocation styled simplicity.

Atmospheric intro “Into the Unknown” lulls you into a false sense of security before “Enthralled in Hatred” explodes from the speakers and from there its a compact but brutal 32 minutes of technical fury. No slow tracks, no interludes, no samples and unlike some of their country mates who tend to add some air of eccentricity or quirkiness to an established sound, Desecravity simply don’t fuck about and you’d have no idea of their country of origin based on their music alone. All the way through “Demonize the Old Enemy”, “Condemnation” and “Extinction With Hatred”, right up until closer “Dark Dimension” Implicit Obedience it no non sense top notch technical ferocity that is always make the listener pay attention and delivers something challenging without spiraling into pure wankery, something the new Spawn of Possession is a little guilty of, or forgetful noise (Beneath the Massacre).

A great, new find for Willowtip.

E. Thomas

Metal Storm (Finland)

Japanese brutal death metal. Guess how crazy this shit’s gonna be? Well… it’s not like Sigh meets Suffocation crazy, but there’s definitely a unique element to Desecravity’s sound: riffs. Like a fuck-ton of face-melting, brutal, technically-driven riffs.Just when you think it’s time for these guys to take their foot off the gas pedal and start chugging like mad, they break out an entirely new set of complex riffs. No big deal. It’s like they went mining for riffs and found the Gold Country of California. Only without all the slaughter of Native Americans and stuff (although I’m sure at least some fingers were harmed in the making of this album, so there’s your violence). It’s Riff City, Riff Central Station, the World Riff Center… whatever you wanna call it, there’s just a boatload of riffs. Not only is this an absolute riff-fest with an insane level of technicality, but the songs actually flow. Like… like a story or something. In a brutal death metal album. That’s pretty rare in this genre. Think early Gorod with some Deeds Of Flesh for a comparable reference. You get your face filled with some inhumane, utterly stupid brutality in terms of chugging riffs and breakdowns, while that “smart” section of your brain – what little remains – can actually pick out some of the more “intelligent” aspects of the music. Think of Einstein having his balls crushed with a sledgehammer. There are other instruments too, it’s not just some guitars. The drummer somehow manages to keep pace with the insanity, even adapting to the several sporadic changes in tempo, crushing the listener with some heavy double-bass work. And of course, that’s all backed up by some Marianas Trench-depth growls and some excellent bass. Sack up and spread your legs, because Implicit Obedience is going to mash your pebbles into dust.A great, new find for Willowtip.

Score:8.5/10
Troy Killjoy

Technical Death Metal.com (USA)

[Roar of the demonically possessed.] Then, old sounding man: “I do that rather well, don’t you think?”
In fact, Desecravity, you do that strikingly well. So well that I am reminded of another death metal classic. Can YOU guess what it is?

For those of you not following the (poorly written) joke, the roaring and sample is the introduction to Cryptopsy’s infamous None So Vile album. Such is the context in which I heard about Implicit Obedience by Japanese savage tech-deathers Desecravity.

Now that we mentioned the pink elephant in the room, we can look at how great Desecravity’s album is. Implicit Obedience sounds like it could have been the long lost album between the None So Vile and Whisper Supremacy that combines the best of both albums. In fact, it combines the best of all the albums of Cryptopsy.

History and comparisons aside, Desecravity brings an album that’s very fresh in its depravity. Its sickening and heavy, thick yet fleetly technical. It squeals, but instead of staying in the weedly highs or spastic mids of Psycroptic’s ilk, the album dwells in the crypts. It has all the jackhammer quick jab stops of Whisper Supremacy and …And Then You’ll Beg. It even jumps with the fierce, high pitched, sharp, springs that made None So Vile so memorable, and snaps with the bass crack of Blasphemy Made Flesh, all with the primal, guttural madness and jarringly unnerving melodies of Once Was Not.

Implicit Obedience is interesting yet scathing, like floating razor blades that have little philosophical messages written on them. Its primal, yet smartly technical, like an educated mammoth. There is no bull in the china shop ? the mammoth tramples the entire strip center, then wrote a best selling novel about it.

If you are one of the many who see None So Vile as one of the best death metal albums of all time then you owe to yourself, no, to anyone you know who likes this album, to buy Desecravity’s Implicit Obedience… you will be delightfully disgusted/disturbed.

One line veridict: The question is never “Is this album good?” only “Do you think they meant to sound like Cryptopsy?”… Either way, this is one sick set of songs not to be missed. ….the proper way to end this review, is, of course…

“Run home and cry to Mama!”

Score:10/10
Witness to the Void

Suicide Scriptures (United Kingdom)

The war machine of the 20th century has increased its domination, the PR face layering the obvious brutality with the silky, smooth, serpentine words of the charming winning hearts and minds with the veracity of their patriotic belief.? The moral necessity of war becomes economic necessity.

War transmogrifies into business, the two sharing a symbiotic relationship so close it is hard to see where one ends and the other begins. The ideals seep into everyday life, tactics to be used to gain victory over any slight or goal, permeating our every waking moment, creating soldiers of us all.

Against this background of perpetual war, the onomatopoeic brutality of the battle is lauded in the beautiful form of brutal death metal. The crushing sounds of tuned-down guitars and constant time changes akin to an artillery barrage from a tank formation. Unrelenting in its ferocity, a metaphoric assault on the senses.

Like the true battlefields of the new age, there is a plethora of warriors fighting the cause of Death Metal. Technically gifted individuals coalescing to promote a universally understood message. Desecravity are another such band wandering aural battlegrounds but they differ from the rank and file. There is a chaotic nature inherent in the music that rises them above the norm, discordant, choppy riffs and time signatures amalgamated with chaotic drumming clothed as a brutal vortex of death metal that has the modern day hint of Cannibal Corpse’s The Bleeding about its sound. The guitars are aggressive, clear in their intent from the opening main track (the opener, “Into The Unknown” is an atmospheric intro which should not have been a separate track) “Enthralled In Decimation” and from here the pace is unrelenting; no slow tracks are needed however as there is a wealth of time changes and creativity within the compositions to keep us entertained. But these changes also have a feeling of naturalness about them, weirdly discordant from the level of expectation and feeling of that expectation being satisfied.

One thing this album does particularly well is promote the brutality the clarity. Erik Rutan (yes he of Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal fame) has created a sound that doesn’t require recreation of earthquake sound levels to expose the brutal and heavy nature of the riffs. The riffs are already laced with heaviness and the choice to give the riffing a platform to speak from is certainly the best decision Desecravity and the production team could have made.

There is a lot of beautifully technical guitar work that concentrates on composition of songs as opposed to supporting the individual solo mastery of the guitarist and for this reason the album is given greater depth, although the quite wonderful solo on “Hades” is surprising when it arrives and leaves us wanting more when it ends.

“Hades” could quite possibly be the nadir of Implicit Obedience but tracks like “The Collapse Of Religion” and “Extinction With Hatred” will have fans arguing over which one is best until Desecravity grace our ears with another work of aural beauty. Hopefully they will leave the shores of their homeland, Japan, and show the rest of Europe what they are missing.

The Offering (USA)

Seriously…….Japanese DEATH METAL!!! I don’t know how the Japanese can make something awesome even better than it already is at times. They make better stories, better myths, better movies and now quite possibly better death metal. Desecravity show they can be as brutal as the rest of the bands from Europe and America in their latest album, ‘Implicit Obedience’.

Beginning an album with Church bells and suspenseful piano can be a tad cliche but for some reason listening to this reminds me off of something out of a Resident Evil video game or something leading to the climax of some kind of horror film. Avoiding the cliche Desecravity definitely nailed their intro in the head and make you want to listen to the rest of the album. Immediately blast beats and some catchy hooks reel you in with ‘Enthralled In Decimation’. Throughout the album every song is crisp and clear thus letting the listener enjoy every aspect of the album for its 33 minutes of total and technical brutality. There is honestly something good about every track musical-wise. The guys in Desecravity really made sure to get their chops down before recording and deliver everything anyone seeking technical guitars and drums desire. The guttural vocals are also nothing to complain about as they suit the music very well. At times thought the vocals could definitely use some more bass to them and volume. Other than that these guys nailed it on making a good death metal album. Overall these Japs did an awesome job and have become a staple to my iPhone and iPod as listens at work and on car rides. Blast beats, check. Catchy and technical guitar hooks, check. Vocals to make babies cry and headbang, check and check. Definitely giving Desecraivty’s ‘Implicit Obedience’ a 9/10.

Score:9/10
Mike Lopez

Guttural Death (World Wide)

Formed by Yuichi Kudo (drums), Keisuke Takagi (guitars), Yujiro Suzuki (vox/guitars) and Toshihiro Inagaki (bass), DESECRAVITY finally came to fill the gap left by INFECTED MALIGNITY in my collection, which already resented by the lack of a great japanese name to carry the flag of extreme metal.

Active since 2007 and practicing a brutal music absolutely inspired by the American roots of their style, the first hearing of this CD is enough to prove that DESECRAVITY is more than ready to compete on an equal footing with their more qualified counterparts. You spin the CD and the echoes of DEEDS OF FLESH, DISGORGE, DYING FETUS, GORGASM, HATE ETERNAL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, MONSTROSITY, FLESH CONSUMED, CONDEMNED and the like are already perceptible in every second of music. But don’t be mistaken. The guys have their own personality, and during the 32 minutes of this pure thermonuclear massacre, they insist on demonstrate an impressive technical-instrumental capacity, so that the cited bands serve only of reference to situate the reader. As always, my primeir highlight is the huge guitarwork. Keisuke Takagi and Yujiro Suzuki focused on the composing of lines extremely complex and varied, but that at no time leave aside the typical brutality of extreme metal. The sound production borne by Erik Rutan ? who is also a guitarist ? kept the weight of the gigantic work of the duo without compromising the clarity and definition. The result is an extreme metal album that will please the more radical fans and also who likes guitars in general. Worth remembering: the music that explodes in the speakers is always scorching, technical, atrocious, without concessions and wonderfully scathing. Therefore don’t expect anything that falls short of what can be described as hard as concrete orthodox BDM madness! “Enthralled in Decimation”, “Demonize the Old Enemy”, “Hades” and “Extinction with Hatred” proves my statement. The tenebrous vocals of Yujiro Suzuki reflect an almost palpable hatred, similar to what we hear on the albums of HATE ETERNAL. His approach, although technically simple, produces some of the most deadly grunts I’ve ever heard, filling with pride the most passionate fans. Anchoring the frontline, bass and drums were melted into a huge sonic wall that gives most consistency to the guitars attack. Detail: the basslines is quite audible in this recording, something that does not happen in many BDM works. And gives you piles of blastbeats for the general happiness of the nation! Not to say that there are no negative points, the introductory track, an instrumental, is absolutely unnecessary. Only serves to tire the listener eager for destruction. But this is an irrelevant detail before so many positives, not compromising the power and functionality of the whole material. I can bet that at the end of the last track, you will put the CD on repeat mode. Mandatory listening here.

Score:9/10
Antonio Jose Bresci