Bound to Prevail draws its best influences from old riffs.
Formed in Malta in 2014, the band consisting of Alan Briffa (vocals), Mark Farrugia Sant’Angelo (drums), Kevin Mifsud (bass), and Keith Fenech (guitar) finally unveils its first album, Enthroned in Torment, on Lethal Scissor Records.
Guitarist Jean Vella also participated in the recording before leaving the band.
The musicians immediately hit the ground running with the first track, The Nevergod, which combines all the elements of Old School Death Metal at a good pace, from the staccato riffs to Alan‘s powerful vocals. The mix is very catchy, occasionally swapping its massive double kick for a livelier blast, while the relentless violence carries us to Into the Depths, which picks up speed again and reveals even sharper guitars. The conclusion remains the same: the band gives free rein to its rage while reserving a few rare moments of respite before the return of the fury that ultimately leads to Defier of Empires, where the harmonics become slightly more complex and present alongside the energetic rhythm. The finale leans towards majestic tones, but Consecrated Perdition quickly returns to the fray with chaotic leads. This time, however, it’s the screams that take center stage in this stirring track, along with a slightly more soaring solo that helps to lighten the assault. Atone in Blasphemy offers us our first moment of respite with its introductive sample, but the rhythm quickly returns, offering a new wave of violence that remains a little more moderate than on the previous tracks, while still allowing the blast to energize the whole thing without warning. The track is long, and allows itself to hammer us continuously while hinting at dissonant touches or an intensification before moving on to Dawn of Emptiness, which in turn accelerates and carries us away in its wake. The vocal firepower is taken to another level, while the rhythm section keeps the song at a steady pace except during the solo, where it slows down and then bursts into flames as it reaches its explosive finale, finally leaving the reins to Tomb of the Graveless and its haunting introduction. The riffs quickly resume their assault, and the band unleashes all its violence at a good pace, allowing us to enjoy that delicious snare drum sound before slowing down for a moment to let the eponymous title track, Enthroned in Torment, deliver the final blows that will inevitably be sent our way at full speed, with the drums keeping up the frantic pace until the album comes to a close.
Bound to Prevail unsurprisingly delivers a solid performance on Enthroned in Torment that pays homage to its ancestors from decades ago. Nothing new, nothing complex, but the riffing is heavy as hell!
80/100
