No time to lose for Liquid Flesh!
Formed in 2014, but stopped in 2016 then brought back to life in 2018 by Gastric Luke (guitar, Demenseed), the band can also count on Putrid Bruce (bass/vocals, Epitaphe, Influence Néfaste) and more recently Niels Quiais (drums, Nightmare, Titans Fall Harder) to introduce us to Dolores, their third album, released by Time to Kill Records.
Opening with Urbex Macabre, the band unveils a slow, eerie Old School sound which becomes a more aggressive acceleration, complemented by thick massive howls. Dark tones surround us all the time, before leading us into La Danse des Ombres, the next track, which feeds a catchy and heady groove over which vocal parts crash, followed by a short final before Tapage Nocturne comes with its worked leads. The sound remains relatively heavy and oppressive, especially when ghostly vocals appear between two livelier Thrash-rooted accelerations. The band continues with Dose Létale Médiane, where the airy harmonics strengthen the permanent feeling disquiet while offering a driving sound, but the track is rather short, and it will cease to let Tribunal Fantomatique unveil its anguishing introduction. Once again, the stirring Death’n’Roll influences are integrated to the heavy atmosphere, creating a vivid contrast, just as on the long Océan de Failles, which lets that strange voice lead us into the jerky rhythm. The track plays with more raw aggressive Old School roots to fuel its leads’ madness, before returning to more accessible, almost danceable sounds with Cauchemar Blanc. Although very different from the others, this composition fits relatively well into the band’s repertoire, as does Bicéphale, which offers an anguished introduction before letting saturation come back to crush us between two more ethereal parts. The haunting final guides us to Sans Relâche and its fast Thrash-influenced riffs, to which the band easily adds its playful touch, before leaving us with Brouillard Hypnotique, the final composition, which blends dissonance and dark groove to create a catchy sound before Death Metal elements return to give it a more aggressive touch, before finally slowly fading out.
Liquid Flesh‘s catchy riffs are made up of raw but heady influences, allowing them a fair amount of musicianship freedom. Dolores and her ghost will haunt you from start to finish, making it a strange experience.
70/100