PATHOLOGY – Unholy Descent

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7.0

• Bands:
  PATHOLOGY
• Duration: 00:38:13
• Available from: 05/17/2024
• Label:

• Agony Records

It is well known that there are few certainties in life, but they are inevitable: taxes, death and a new Pathology album are undoubtedly among them, and in fact the American death metal group arrives tirelessly at the release of their new, twelfth album in almost twenty years of career, maintaining a simply astonishing average of publications.
It's difficult to find something that hasn't been said about their proposal over the years, developed with tenacity around a certainly violent and pounding concept of American-style death metal, then declined in the various albums according to more or less evident mitigations compared to the formula principal. If the latest “Reborn To Kill” and “The Everlasting Plague” in fact showed a particular sensitivity towards solos and more melodic drifts, it seems that the new “Unholy Descent” partially shifts the direction of the combo, which this time instead indulges in rather atmospheric cross-sections evident that distantly touch the territories of the more square and martial black metal.
The first “Cult Of The Black Triangle” immediately shows off this new development, but there will also be a way in “Whispers Of The Djinn”, “Apostles Of Fire” and various moments of the setlist to enhance this renewed element of depth and introspection , before hitting the ground running with an avalanche of super ignorant riffs and abysmal growling vocals to season it all. In fact, having removed some more original frills, Pathology pour onto the new album a dose of certainly familiar brutality, certainly following paths that have already been tested, but, perhaps for this reason, traveled with a confidence and experience that certainly cannot be underestimated.
In short, our band, having reached their third album with the same line-up, know well how to create dynamic and lively songs, so concise and short as to prevent boredom from taking over, playing on experience and exploiting the best weapons refined over twenty years. of activities in a safe and professional manner. Astor on the drums does not disappoint expectations, thanks to fills and time changes that are impeccable for this musical segment, while Dan Richardson's guitar cuts cannot leave indifferent all lovers of death metal with modern and powerful production, but not excessively so. digitized. Each song then has some element capable of distinguishing it slightly from the others, a further sign of the band's compositional intelligence, allowing the scarce forty minutes of “Unholy Descent” to pass with a certain enthusiasm.
With few but significant elements of change, and through a defined but not dry modus operandi, Pathology manage to prevail this time too, giving a take of brisk violence with few demands and a good final result.