Memoriam – Requiem For Mankind

8/10

Out of a tribute to the late Bolt Thrower drummer Martin Kearns Memoriam was born. Now they are releasing their third record in three years’ time. Those who are familiar with Bolt Thrower and Benediction will feel a very welcoming sense here. A pure memory lane walk through the 90´s death metal scene.

“Shell Shock” kicks it off and somewhere I get the thought that if John Tardy and Johan Edlund mixed their voices this might be how it would sound. Relentless and thunderous death metal that really gets me going. “Undefeated” has more focus on melodies than on “Shell Shock”. “Never The Victim” takes the band back to their furious death metal path. A perfect blend of melodic death metal of today and the death metal scene of the 90s.
“Austery Kills” is a great fast song and my love story with the band are from here on cast in concrete. This is just what I want my death metal to sound like. Apparently an angry reaction to Britain’s health care system.

“In The Midst of desolation” is a pure death metal track. All that there is to it. Simple riffing beneath a well-articulated lyric. The song might not get you go headbanging but you can still enjoy the track. “Refused to be led”: did I hear a short and slight Faith No More-ish melody for a second in the intro?. This band is on the verge on something really great hopefully. I can even introduce a new metal style, “melodic UK death metal”. Mosh pits all over the place are in order on this one.
“The Veteran”: during this session it appears that they continue their war themed songs from the Bolt Thrower era. Must admit that it was ages ago I listened to BT and Memoriam I have only dug into the last week or so.
Title track “Requiem for Mankind” goes plowing on through the death metal furrow. Still on a very high level.
“Fixed Bayonets” is the second to last song and it´s a very good pace for a final track. They´ve released one album a year so we don´t have to wait biting our fingernails off for the next hopefully.

They bow out with the instrumental “Interment” that if I had a say about anything would have been the Intro. Not the Outro.

Artist: Memoriam
Title: Requiem For Mankind
Label: Nuclear Blast
Date of release: 19-06-21
Rate: 8/10
Stand out track: Never The Victim