What could unite Feral and Crawl? Death Metal.
Both bands are Swedish, with a total of three albums for Feral and just one for Crawl, but they trusted Transcending Obscurity Records for the release of Made As Those Who Are No Longer Alive, for which they each wrote two tracks.
Feral kicks things off with From the Ancient Tombs, an energetic, HM-2-infused Old School track featuring massive vocal parts and a catchy sound. The vocalist has an interesting range of screams at his disposal, letting cavernous howls meet more piercing eruptions while the rhythmic progresses at a moderate pace to lead us into a final acceleration, and Released from the Bondage of the Earth lets sharp, savage riffs unveil a distant solo. The double kick and backing vocals only serve to strengthen the track’s aggression, which offers a second sharp solo before molesting us until Crawl steps in with Where the Dead Flesh Whispers, which remains in that brutal Old School approach with a similar mix. The track is shorter, however, forcing the band to attack hard, even if the final heavy break will also have its effect, before Vanity places a short introductory sample, followed by its surge that rolls over us with jerky patterns until its final moments.
Swedish roots coupled with Feral and Crawl‘s HM-2 make both bands a pure wonder for Death Metal fans. We can only hope that Made As Those Who Are No Longer Alive will have a following, given its short length.
80/100