Originally written by Tim Pigeon
When reviewing debut death metal albums, we always run the risk of hearing something that is more ambition than ability, and more aggression than aptitude. Luckily this is not the case when it comes to the first full-length release from Dead Syndicate. Arising from the D.C. suburbs, this five-piece act plays unabashedly American death metal. The Carrion Creed has ten tracks with a couple of short filler tracks, but the bulk is solid, throwback DM.
Downtuned and distorted guitar production plays well atop tremolo riffing by Brian and John. Meanwhile, Mike crams about three albums’ worth of drumming into this one disc. The guy must strap paint can shakers onto his boots. Rounding out the band is a duo of brothers that handle the bass duties and the vocals, and the singer has a vicious roar. The production is not fancy, nor does it need to be for this set of songs.
The Carrion Creed starts off strong with the frantic “Plague of Plagues”. Kick drums at 1000 BPM provide the base for furious riffing that has shades ofCannibal Corpse. “Whore of Babylon” drifts along at a much more restrained pace, spiced with guitar squeals all throughout the track. While it is a bit monotonous, they quickly get back on track with “Vampyre” and the thunderous “Kill Like a God”. The latter song may be the hit of the disc, clocking in at over six minutes and featuring a bevy of different riffs and tempos that don’t sound too over-thought.
Dead Syndicate is a promising band with a good ear for death metal. They may not be battling with the titans of the scene yet, but they are clawing at the door. A strong sophomore album should certainly pay dividends and get them more visibility.
