Zrození smrti

Artist: Amon
Album Title: Zrozeni Smrti
Label: Barbarian Wrath

This is the fourth full-length release from Amon, a Czech band that plays black/death metal.

On this album, Amon shows much more death metal influence than on "The Worship". The guitars reflect this, but there's a lot of chunky, old-school black metal riffing and bass lines in here, too. There are two vocal styles. One is snarled, and the other is a death metal style vomited growl. Both are excellent, and the interplay between the two is one of the high points of the album. The drumming is good, but not particularly noteworthy.

As a big fan of "The Worship", I was initially a bit disappointed by this album, because it doesn't sound very much like Amon's earlier work. Once I got past that, though, I realized that "Zrozeni Smrti" is a great album in its own right. The dueling vocals are just perfect, and there are more than a few great Amon riffs hiding amongst the death metal undergrowth. For example, the guitar work on "Zrozeni", "Poselstvi", and "Pizen Zradcu" is more than worthy of the Amon name. The combination of death metal rhythms with Amon's lead riffs makes this album one of the more successful black/death fusions I've heard.

As if that wasn't enough, you get the entirety of the "Volejete Pana"/"Call the Master" album as bonus tracks! This is a real treat for old Amon fanatics, especially those who haven't got the original Nazgul's Eyrie release. The sound is great, quite clear and crisp, and the classic vocal performances by both Dr. Fe and Big Boss of Root will please any fan of old Czech metal. One of the songs, "Fire Blood Skulls and Satan", even throws in a bit of Western-style rock, Amon style.

This one is a sure bet for fans of both black and death metal, especially those who still appreciate ancient Czech masters like Root and Master's Hammer. Highly recommended.

Standout Tracks": "Zrozeni", "Poselstvi", "Pizen Zradcu"