Carnation, Belgium’s pride and joy when it comes to new Old School Death Metal bands. A small rising star with their ‘Cemetery of the Insane’ EP back in 2015, which results in a deal with Season of Mist and 2 full-lengths. Both full-lengths received positive reviews in the bigger magazines and the exposure Carnation enjoyed gave them notice by the bigger audience.
After a bit of silence, Carnation teased their fans with a new crest/logo and the news they have changed their formula a bit. Some even were afraid they would walk the same path as Tribulation…That is not the case with Carnation. The Bloodbath-like Death Metal is still the fundament of it all, with darker passages and atmosphere. A bit more gloomy like a blend of ideas from the American Death/Doom scene as well as the UK one.
On the other hand, give ‘Submerged in Deafening Silence’ a listen and you will probably hear a mixture of Gorefest’s ‘The Glorious Dead’ (the chorus riff) and ‘Reality – When you Die’ as well.
Another surprise is the use of clean vocals; which give a song like ‘Replicant’ an Arcane Sun vibe. On the title track you will hear the clean vocals again, but if you ask me it doesn’t bring anything extra to the table.
All in all a clear sounding Death Metal album that would be recommendable for the new enthusiasts as stepping stone towards the Vallhalla called Old School Death Metal. I think the OSDM purists will not be easily convinced, maybe not at all even, unless they are huge Carnation fans.
So is this a bad album or a mediocre one? Not at all, but it will be all about expectations.
Season of Mist
- Country: France
- Style: Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash Metal, Other
- Links: Homepage, Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube
