THE BEAST

Band formed in October of 2013 in the city of Pittsburgh PA. Post Mortal Possession is Nick Bentzel (Dead By Dawn, A Moment of Clarity, Crown the Lost, Embludge oned), Jake McMullen(Dead By Dawn, Tyrant, Torrential Bleeding), Brian Cremeens(Tyrant, Torrential Bleeding), Eddie Gremba(Dead By Dawn) and Tim Church(Victims of Contagion, Tyrant).

Impressing with their 2014 EP, Possessing Entity, Post Mortal Possession have returned with a new EP in the form of Forest of the Damned. Brutal death metal by way of Pittsburgh, the band has found a way to keep the required abrasiveness of the sound intact while sneaking in some elements that are bound to find the band some additional favor as they continue forward.

The layering of melody within the brutal death metal format comes at no added expense or ding to the visceral edge of the band’s music. This is the type of material that easily will find adamant followers in fans of Suffocation, Dying Fetus, or other like-minded bands. The riffs are punishing, particularly at the mid-tempo when speed is tossed aside for groove, and it’s hard not to get your head involved when moving through the riff fields of a track like “Gallows Hill.” But any standard band can pull off riffing that makes you want to break through the nearest wall – Post Mortal Possession keep things a bit more diverse to reel in the listener. The most noticeable aspect of this is with the guitar work itself. Sure, it can go the gamut from technically-driven to groovy, but the leadwork is at times impressively melodic. It rears its head as early as “Skinwalker,” with a solo that is as technically impressive as it is memorable. It’s these leads that provide an added “wow,” along with some melodically-laced riffage (see “Implements of Hell”). None of this takes away from the brutal edge of the music, but gives some added nuance to it. Also lending a hand are the vocals, which go from high to low, growl to squeal, keeping things as dynamic as the instruments that surround it.

Upping the ante from their last EP, Forest of the Damned provides all the prerequisite brutality and injects a sleek sense of melody underneath it all. This is a band to watch within the death metal circle. Review pulled from Metal Archives

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