Death metal composed and performed in the ancient way never seems to lose its appeal, either to fans or to musicians. Of course, when I say “ancient”, I mean that long-ago era in the late ’80s and early ’90s when the fires of death creation first began to burn like an inferno. When newer bands draw inspiration from those classic sounds, the first and most important question that always comes up is whether the composers and performers have the skills and the spirit to make those fires come alive again.

It’s usually too much to expect that new music in the vein of bands like Grave, Autopsy, Nihilist, or Dismember will actually claim its own identity. After all, if you (as an artist) stray too far off the old path, then you really aren’t satisfying a desire to pay homage to a deathless style of extremity. Yet a band capable of laying an honorable sacrifice at the altar of old-school death metal while still making it sound fresh (like the fresh stench of a just-exhumed corpse) can still make a name for itself — and that’s what Coffin Lust have done on their debut album Manifestation of Inner Darkness. Continue reading »