Album Reviews : The Amenta – Flesh Is Heir

Flesh Is Heir seems to have been one of those albums that has taken forever to come out. It hasn’t, really, at all, but The Amenta’s recent history makes it feel well overdue. A year or so over they released their last album, n0n, half of the line-up changed with Cain Cressall take over vocal duties (and improving their live presence tenfold), as well as Robin Stone on drums and Dan Quinlan on bass. The free VO1D dropped in 2011, with one new track, a handful of re-recorded tracks featuring the new members, a cover and some remixes. Twelve-ish months later we got the Godflesh-influenced Chokehold EP, and the Teeth EP another twelve-ish months after that. But, finally, a full release of new material is about to see the light of day.

The evolution from Occasus to n0n was an interesting one, with their death metal-meets-eerie electronics sound turning into a noisy, industrial all-out assault on the senses, and it seemed to divide fans. Where some missed the riffs and the ultimately heavier sound of the former, some found the latter full of tracks that were both more interesting and more memorable. Regardless of which group you found yourself in, chances are you’ll find Flesh Is Heir to be their finest moment.

The noise elements are less abrasive but rather dense and luscious, in the most basement-y way possible, of course, and there’s more space in the overall sound. Depending on the track, you’ll find either some of their most intense or some of their most melodic riffs to date; “Sewer” being as ferocious as “Ergo Ergo Sum” is groovy. Want a monstrous sing-along chorus? Then flick to “Obliterate’s Prayer”. How about that’s both demonic but weirdly laid back? “Cell”. “A Womb Tone” is utterly horrifying and, unlike so many metal bands, stands up as its own track rather than an ambient/noise interlude.

Flesh Is Heir channels the finest moments of each past release. It is, by miles, the most dynamic and most organic collection of tracks that The Amenta have put together. While it might sound like an impossible feat, it is as dark as anything prior while somehow being an easier listen. Between this and the new Portal album, 2013 is already a ridiculously good year for Australian extreme music.

Band: The Amenta
Album: Flesh Is Heir
Year: 2013
Genre: Industrial Death Metal
Label: EVP Recordings
Origin: Sydney, Australia
http://www.theamenta.com

Track listing:
1. Flesh Is Heir
2. Ego Ergo Sum
3. Teeth
4. A Womb Tone
5. Obliterate’s Prayer
6. Sewer
7. The Argument
8. Cell
9. Disintegrate
10. A Palimpsest
11. Tabula Rasa