May 2008
Tracklist:
Origin: United States of America (Boston, Massachusetts)
Genre: Technical Death/Thrash Metal
Bitrate: 128Kbps
With growls, distorted guitars chords, pounding drums, Revocation explodes into your ears with their incredible debut album, Empire Of The Obscene. The riffs that follow this sudden introduction are fast and furious, the vocals inhuman, the drums completely unrelenting. This Boston based technical thrash/death metal band has honed their skills for years and it shows. They've succeeded in mixing old thrash sensibilities, new brutality standards and excellent riff writing into a sound that is both unique and traditional.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, thrash bands would write albums filled with different headbanging riffs and shredding solos. Bands like Dark Angel and Demolition Hammer come to mind as masters of this. This influence is strong in Revocation for they spew out riffs that today's big name bands wish they could dream about. David Davidson is the man behind these infectiously ruthless guitar lines, utilizing a variety of playing styles ranging from fast tremolo lines to fast palm muting, to groovy yet still highly technical licks. One of the huge components to old school thrash is the guitar solo, and Davidson does not disappoint. His skill on the guitar is remarkable, but without being pretentious, just as a good thrash solo should be.
Revocation's rhythm and low end are exceptional at their instruments. Anthony Buda supportive bass work brings body and enhances the guitar riffs. Sometimes, Buda comes out from the low end to add his two cents to the compositions. Phil Dubois-Coyne's drumming is extraordinary and varied. He is reserved while being incredibly accurate. He employs double bass drums in places where it fits, as well technical fills and crashes, while reducing his playing to simple beats and rhythms.
With the aesthetic of yesteryear, they add huge quantities of new century relentlessness. Revocation is a death metal band after all. The vocals are brutal and powerful. Davidson does much of the main vocal work with his thrashy style of death growl, while trading off occasionally with Buda who provides some guttural muscle.
For a band of their brutality and skill, Revocation's metal is infectious. Most technical bands are so focused on showing off their talent that they loose any sense of songwriting and composition, and they become bland and pompous. This isn't Revocation's problem. The riffs are incredibly catchy and they're well incorporated into the music. There's a bit of a progressive quality to sections of songs where they throw in clean jazzy breakdowns that explode back into brutality, as well as some bluesy old fashioned rock and roll guitar solos. Another aspect that sets them apart from other serious bands is that you can tell that they enjoy the music they play. In one song, Davidson goes as far as to yell "Guitar!" before exploding into a fast and furious solo.
For a three piece band, Revocation is a super strong wall of incredible sounds. Empire Of The Obscene is a brutal and beautiful beginning for this talented band.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/revocation
Download: Rapidshare link
