March 22, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

Long before Finland was known for Nightwish and the sweeping conglomerate of gothic metal bands a little band called Convulse was taking the sound of death metal acts Entombed, Morbid Angel and Autopsy and creating some great death metal music on its own.

Relapse Records has reissued the band’s first effort from 1992, World Without God, an overlooked gem in a sea of bands that have drifted into obscurity or footnote oblivion. What once was a good death metal album well worthy of inclusion in any death metal collection slipped into near Neverland territory for a good number of years, only heralded and coveted by the hardcore among us. Thankfully the album has been reissued for a new generation to enjoy, and with bonus tracks to boot.

Formed in 1988, Convulse took its sound from the underground elite (with the Autopsy comparison pretty much spot-on) and had a moment in time that stands up just as authentic today as it did eighteen years ago. The low growl from vocalist Aki Yli-Salomäki, which is void of the typical useless guttural vomiting, is placed over well-organized spastic musical compositions and makes for an interesting and necessary listening experience. Tracks like “Blasphemous Verses” and “Godless Truth” take the listener on a trip of an intense metal sojourn, complete with a clear marriage of both brutal death that relents not a bit and slow, grooving parts indicative of a good grasp of the concept of death metal that doesn’t need constant obstreperous speed. These guys pretty much disappeared from the death metal scene after the 1994 sophomore effort, Reflections, which is sad because they had a damn good start at possibly becoming more known around the death metal circles.

The reissue also sees the addition of the band’s Resuscitation of Evil demo as well as two live tracks, one of which is the band’s cover of Venom’s “Countess Bathory” from a bootleg called Live in Pain. Of course the demo tracks are not of such terrific quality, but they are large leaps above the usual obligatory demo track inclusions on most reissues that sound like they were recorded in a coffee can! These are also enjoyable and just as brutal as their polished counterparts. Even in raw demo form these guys were really good.

Hopefully the band will gain some well-deserved observance with the reissue of what is a classic death offering from start to finish. I know the guys in the band have gone on to other projects, but who knows, maybe this will prompt a return and a new CD of godly death metal only Finland should deliver amidst so much overhyped gothic boredom.

Release Date: January 19, 2010
Label: Relapse Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Introduction
2.  World Without God
3.  Putrid Intercourse
4.  Incantation of Restoration
5.  Blasphemous Verses
6.  False Religion
7.  Resuscitation of Evilness
8.  Infernal End
9.  Godless Truth
10.  Powerstruggle of Belief
11.  Resuscitation of Evilness
12.  Infernal End
13.  Godless Truth
14.  Powerstruggle of Belief
15.  Putrid Intercourse (demo)
16.  Godless Truth (demo)
17.  Resuscitation of Evilness (demo)
18.  Powerstruggle of Belief (demo)
19.  Countess Bathory (live)
20.  Incantation of Restoration (live)

Total playing time:  75:10

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Convulse - World Without God