FATHER BEFOULED

The year 2008 is one marked by a resurgence of not just retro thrash, but old school, doomy death metal. We have seen superb releases from Australia's IGNIVOMOUS (vinyl releases at that),Norway's EXECRATION, Sweden's NECROVATION, and Greece's DEAD CONGREGATION, while Seattle's DRAWN AND QUARTERED brought Hell to the road with the Assault of Evil tour. So it is not like we're talking about one particularly prolific part of the globe. The style is loved far and wide, and we are witnessing a new breed of acts that not only do it justice, but also do it well. Just when you thought the keg had run dry rising upstarts Enucleation Records unleash "Profano Ad Regnum" by Georgia's FATHER BEFOULED.

Befouling indeed, this mini-CD is as close to early INCANTATION as you are probably going to get and it is all done by two guys: Wolxum (bass/drums) and Ghoat (guitar/vocals). Where other bands of this ill begotten ilk anchor the sound in INCANTATION doom churn, then mix early IMMOLATION and sometimes MORBID ANGEL, the sound of FATHER BEFOULED sticks largely to that heard on albums like "Onward to Golgotha". Still, they manage to pay tribute to a beloved style, rather than rape it for gain. The guitar riffs couldn't be any more appropriate to the style; unbelievably evil and as unclean as it gets without being too lo-fi and with some of the best pinch squawking terror you will hear. As expected, the songs are either slow and doom-caked or menacingly tunneling to the center of the earth with reckless abandon, as Ghoat's cavernous bellows suck the oxygen from the room.

It is all constructed in a way that keeps the arrangements interesting, best exemplified by instrumental "Maggots Await their Wings", which features well placed samples and eerie light picking to go with the sordid grooves. Oddly enough, even the bonus live rehearsal tracks ("Idolatry of Cursed Revelation" and "Chapel of Sores") fit right in. When it comes to this style of music, chances are you either love it or hate it. If you count yourself in the loving-it camp, then "Profano Ad Regnum" is an easy one to recommend because it the quintessence of the style.