BANISHMENT

SUFFOCATION may just be the most imitated band in diehard brutal death circles. Listen to a random selection of acts on a label like Unique Leader and, to some degree, Unmatched Brutality, and you are sure to hear the influence. If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then the members of the NYDM crew are no doubt blushing a deep death metal red. If you're going to be inspired by one band, SUFFOCATION isn't a bad way to go and when it's done while still maintaining a group's own individual character, as is the case with Los Angeles' BANISHMENT, the results can be enjoyable.

As such, "Cleansing the Infirm" does not push the limits of the genre; they just take a completed blueprint and add their own small touches, much like a group such as UNMERCIFUL does. More than anything else, the songs on "Cleansing the Infirm" are written in a way that keeps the listener from either being bored stiff or forgetting what track is playing at any given time. The guitar work of Billy Clapp is notable for its contours and textures, as well as the number of convincing riffs that are produced. Coupled with the rhythmic dexterity of blast master Jorge Banda, the album boasts a lot of chunk, stutter, and shiver. Along those same lines, the band creates arrangements that are allowed to breathe through pace changes and shifts in intensity, as aptly demonstrated by "Translucent Birth of Iniquity", "Obscure Benevolence", "Detriment", and "Scourge Under Empyreal Treachery". The downshift to a more subdued riff/rhythm with a melodic lead over top during the latter part of instrumental "An Inimical Figure" is another case of using juxtaposition to enhance a song's mightier moments. And yes, the vocals of Imer Arnautovic descend directly from Frank Mullen and are even decipherable at times.

So OK, BANISHMENT won't corner the brutal death market. What the band has done with "Cleansing the Infirm" is put some effort into the songwriting and recorded a pretty respectable DM album. Never fear though; if you're not a fan of the style, "Cleansing the Infirm" will not convince you to come over to the other side.