''Occult'', may just be the term I need to describe this unsigned Australian five-piece, and this kind of dark, brooding death metal is something refreshing after getting slammed and devoured by dozens of Swedish death metallers.Backyard Mortuary do their best to avoid simple cliches, which is good news because they're bringing some much needed contrast to the scene, and it's still entertaining to see a band bring up different old school aesthetics than the ones that are already reaching the point of over-saturation because Backyard Mortuary mash up more than a few bands together while forming their old school drenched formula. They're evil, sordid and primitive, heavily influenced by thrash metal savages like Kreator, Sepultura, Morbid Saint, much like the early 90's - late 80's extreme metal sound.
Backyard Mortuary are primitive and subdued, but they're not crude or wholly apart from technical issues. They're not entirely embracing atmosphere or anything like that, but they keeps their riffs rock solid and the guitar tone corpulent and boxy, and the thrash primitivism gets a few bonus chugs and stomps in there for additional crust and power, and once combined, the mixture sounds perfect. I'm feeling a little bit of Autopsy here with some Cannibal Corpse circa ''Eaten Back To Life'' and plenty of old school USDM elements are fashioned as well, but the most important aspect is that the record's drooling with evil, occult-laden filth, and that alone can make a very big difference. I see the much adored Swedish death metal sound is not snatched this time, not one bit as it's been replaced by other influences many will be very enthusiastic about, but at the same time, Backyard Mortuary inserts much of their own brand of old school death metal oddity into the mix, and that's the main reason I can't quite put my finger on influences and directly name a band.
Like most who spread a similar overtone of evil, ''Lure Of The Occult's'' anatomy is a riff laden barricade of cavernous savagery, meaning that the entire focus of the riffs is the same, crushing, desecrating and relentlessly pursuing with either rich thrash chomps of Incantation like tremolo merges, but with a hint of that Autopsy taste I mentioned earlier, a small outburst of sinister notes among the hefty crushers. All of the songs are longer than four minutes and majority can reach up to five or six minutes with two mega tracks; the seven minute punisher ''Mutation'' and the eight minute monolith of a song, ''Demon's Blood''. Groovy and semi-technical touches may adorn the most of the record, but doomy section a re prominent, usually reeking heavily of Asphyx with a similar chunky, full tone, doused with the occasional sprinkling of chaotic stench.
Backyard Mortuary proves to be catchier, faster and more entertaining than many other obelisks that stand and fight, while they could have, to my dismay, fought with a little bit more aggression and energy, fueling their blood. ''Macabre Butchery'' is a prime example of the formula I'm talking about. With a tiny bit of brutal death, sheer blasphemy and raw anger becomes a much more entertaining dish, and that's probably the main idea of the whole record. Ectovoid, Anhedonist, and now, Backyard Mortuary. The latest addition to my list of more ''inspired'' death metal bands of the year, and I'm adding these because their style is definitely engulfing and interesting, if not utterly innovative and surpassing in originality. Australia is gathering a mighty fine cluster of deathly old school death metal bands and they're growing each day--it won't be long before we're besieged by an army of these brain drilling monstrosities.
Highlights:
Macabre Butchery
Lure Of The Occult
Beyond The Grave
Mutation
Rating: 86,5%
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