ALBUM REVIEW: Inhuman – Conquerors of the New World
WORDS: Laura McCarthy
After a short break between first album Course of Human Destruction, Costa Rican death metal band INHUMAN come full force with their second album Conquerors of the New World. Having only formed in 2012, INHUMAN push to create a name for themselves with yet more exciting sounds.
Impressively, the title track Conquerors of the New World is absolutely what you’d want an opener to be; it has just the right amount of melody and aggression in level with the vocals. There is some great shredding and riffing in this first track, and the results are chaotic, driven and urgent. Soulless Dead Eyes carries on in much the same fashion. Once again, the playing is solid, and the energy is almost tangible. Live, any of these tracks are going to be amazing.
Hold Your Crucifix, is the first single from the album and it’s clear why. Complex and destructive, there is a weight to this song that sparks fire in the pit of your stomach. With a new drummer, Eduardo Chaves (DEEP UNDERGROUND, REBORN IN CHAOS) replacing Freddy “Coco” Sanchez, there can be no doubt that this offering is just as solid as the first album. Death metal can be incredibly hard to do well, let alone in a technical style, and it’s refreshing to have these newcomers have such a grasp so early on to what that really means.
Extermination by Depopulation is a really interesting track. It’s hugely complex and very melodic, without losing any of its rhythm or tone. It must be said, all members of this bands clearly know what they’re doing. In terms of playability, this would have to be one to return to for many replays, both to enjoy the high energy and to pick apart the intricacies. The riffs are superb and the consistently huge vitality to the drums and the bass truly are fantastic.
Feed on human flesh is quite as gruesome in its tenor as the songs name suggests. Savagely fast, this is death metal in its full force in this slightly shorter track. This can also be said for America Rises, which is truly a cruel, hostile and vastly potent song. There are some very well played fills, and the riffs are mammoth. Equally, this is potentially the best lyrically, with Sergio Munoz’ voice covering a range of growls and screams that are sublime. Occasionally a more condensed tune can actually add to the potential of the song, requiring the music to push harder and further. This could not be more apparent on this track, which perhaps demonstrates the band at its best. For fans of bands such as DECATIPTATED, CANIBLE CORPSE or EXTOL, this album is something to look out for, as at the end of the album both The Chalice and Stabbed to Death hit full force and hold back nothing.
The album overall is a great success, with the latter half being perhaps the stronger, there’s no doubt there is great talent to INHUMAN, each musician having great skill in his own right. There is also variety that can occasionally be lacking in death metal, and the injection of the melody without ever giving up on the intensity of the record as a collective is impressive. For a second offering, this band not only has a huge potential to grow, but shows massive progression from the first album. The pace is harder, the riffs faster, the overall chaos more palpable right from the off. INHUMAN show huge promise in becoming a great name in the death metal scene, and are a pushing to become just that.
7/10
