Originally written by Chris Chellis.
Reinventing the wheel, these guys are not. In death metal years, this might as well pre-date the formation of the original wheel, so the fact that Ibex Moon was the label to pick this release up for greater distribution should surprise no one. Neither should the fact that it reads “traditional death metal” just under the Lifeless logo. Well, duh.
Despite its German talent, Beyond the Threshold of Death is Swedish death metal to its core. I hesitate to say Swedish death metal worship, because that somehow implies it’s not good on its own merit. And well, it’s not so much good as it is great. The weight of this album is such that were I to own a physical copy of it I would have had to cart it through the record shop in one of those wagons you see at a home improvement store.
Like any album of its ilk, Beyond the Threshold of Death is dangerous to necks everywhere. Fifteen seconds into the title track and one pretty much knows what these guys are all about: snapping said necks, and snapping them efficiently, a few brief minutes at a time. Short and sweet with crushing groove. The whole thing sounds like an Entombed-laced eight-ball. There’s not a dud in the bunch. Even the almost-too-appropriate Dismember cover is ace.
The obvious influences detract very little enjoyment from Lifeless’ debut. If you like lumbering death metal, chances are you would like this no matter how apparent the lineage. The production is damn near perfect given how upfront the guitar sound is (and what tone!), vocalist Marc is positively seething throughout, song variety and pacing keeps things interesting. There’s not much to dislike here. If there’s anything to nitpick about, it’s that these guys take too few chances. Something tells me they don’t care. They know what they like. They know what the album’s intended audience likes. And that seems pretty kosher to me.
