Circle of Dead Children – Psalm of the Grand Destroyer
Avatar of Innocence
Ursa Major (1998 Revisited)
When Human Compost Stains all Earth and Repels the Messengers of Love
Chaos Crawls Back
Earth and Lye
We Who Move with the Graven Worms
Bury the Ill Flock
Refuse to Kill the Same Way Twice
Obsidian Flakes
Last Words and Warning Signs
Jaracaca
Torches
Night of Morbid Psycho
Germinate the Reaper Seed
Starve, Beg & Die a.k.a. Fuck You Kill Me
If there’s ever a phrase to describe Circle of Dead Children, it’s “jumping the gun”. While they’re talented and tight, the fact this record is only half an hour suggests that they’re struggling to balance both, and not succeeding.
Let’s not take anything away from them: they’re accomplished musicans, playing something that takes the death metal likes of Carnifex, and combines it with grindcore elements to up the tempo a tad. But as you might guess from citing the utterly generic Carnifex as an influence, rather than, say the more invigoratingly technical Faceless, Circle of Dead Children don’t hold the same level of interest.
That’s not to say there’s not enjoyment to be had: ‘Chaos Crawls Back’ has an entertaining Entombed bopping vibe to it, if it wasn’t for the fact they left it too short – an endemic problem. Much like their habit of artificially lengthening their songs by adopting long intros of drawn out chords which bear no subsequent relation to the rest of the song, except on ‘Obsidian Flakes’, where some skilful bassline permutations maintain the same sinister atmosphere throughout.
Ultimately though, the balancing act is not enough to catch the attention of grindcore speedfreaks, or the new progressive tendencies that have become ever more common place in the last three years or so. If you’re after something that combines technical skill, speed and variety, you’re better off finding a Cephalic Carnage record, because for all the grandiosity and glimmers of ambition, they lack the variety of those Denver destroyers.
Reviewed by Steve Jones
‘Psalm of the Grand Destroyer’ is out now on Willowtip
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