Album Reviews : Internal Nightmare – Chaos Reborn

After almost 6 years, numerous line up changes and a noticeable change in sound, Melbourne death metal band Internal Nightmare have finally released their debut album, ‘Chaos Reborn’. It was mixed and mastered by Dean Wells (Shredville Studios/Teramaze), recorded in the bands own recording space and produced by vocalist/bassist Paul Hammond. But was this effort worth the 6 year wait, or the 2 years since the beginning of their death thrash sound?
The answer is yes.

The first thing I took notice of before I listened to this album is something that I’ve never seen a band do before. For all of you people reading this that still buy CD’s (I hope that is most of you), the booklet has two different album covers that represent the title and concept of ‘Chaos Reborn’. You can flip the booklet over and change the album artwork anytime you please.

The album shows off a hate-fuelled twin vocal attack, pounding drums and chaotic guitar/bass riffage (yes, the bass is well heard in the mix), taking influence from Sepultura, Revocation, Morbid Angel and Napalm Death. I have to give special credit to the drums on this album. Tom Jarratt is a powerhouse on the drums. They don’t call him the Master Blaster for no reason, as half of the album is filled with massive sounding blast beats and technical drum sections that standout really well in the mix.

Re-recorded for the album were the band’s two demo tracks (‘Self Deceit’ and ‘Born to Hate’) and the whole ‘War of Silence’ EP (‘War of Silence’, ‘Theatre of the Absurd’ and ‘Profuse Bleeding’) released over the past two years. Those songs were a good taste of how the band sounds with their current three piece line up. But they were bound to improve, and it’s great to hear those 5 songs re-recorded with louder mastering and real drums (War of Silence EP had a drum machine). Not only that, but tuning one octive lower than they previously were really made the songs sound a lot heavier, and the production made the vocals more audible. That’s not to say that “the lower you’re tuned, the heavier you sound”, but for these songs it just worked really well.

Two of my favourite tracks on this album are actually the closing tracks, which both have guest vocalists. ‘Infection Abound’ is a zombie-themed thriller that features Matt Storma (Whoretopsy), and ‘Vagaries of Perception’ has Matt Young (King Parrot) laying down his usual ferocious grind vocals for a few sections, and has a short but slammy breakdown that will have you banging your head everytime. And while I’m speaking about guests on this album, I better mention the always brilliant guitar solos of Dean Wells provided earlier in the album for the song ‘Devoid of Consciousness’.
A 10 second secret track ‘Life’s Work’ can be heard at the very end of Vagaries of Perception, which in my opinion is a bit pointless not putting it as a separate track.

If you were/weren’t a fan of Internal Nightmare before 2011 and haven’t listened to them since, check them out now and you might like it. Even if you’ve never heard them before, if you are a fan of death and thrash metal, then you should listen to Chaos Reborn when it’s released (January 27), as it is one hell of a debut album. 8/10

Band: Internal Nightmare
Album: Chaos Reborn
Year: 2013
Genre: Chaotic Death Thrash
Label: High Voltage
Origin: Melbourne, Australia
www.facebook.com/internalnightmare
www.internalnightmare.net

Track list:
1. Self Deceit
2. Born to Hate
3. Devoid of Consciousness
4. Eternal Unrest
5. Futile Existence
6. War of Silence
7. Theatre of the Absurd
8. Profuse Bleeding
9. Rancid Cremation
10. Infection Abound (ft. Matt Storma of Whoretopsy)
11. Vagaries of Perception (ft. Matt Young of King Parrot) / Secret track (Life’s Work) at the end

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