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Massacre > Inhuman Condition > Reviews
Massacre - Inhuman Condition

Human Condition - 70%

Hames_Jetfield, March 30th, 2021

Before the creators of the famous - in some groups - "From Beyond" fooled themselves with nasty "Promise", it's worth going back to the time of the debut again and paying attention to the slightly omitted "Inhuman Condition" - an ep containing quite a lot of meaningful music. Interestingly, this one rivals that of the full cd, and best of all, it breaks the band's later cds. It's also clearly visible (or rather audible) from this release that the potential in Massacre was much more and that with a little normal approach to the stability of the line-up (i.e. a clearly positioned leader), the group would be able to pull this style on a few more albums and find much wider interest. At that time, it ended only with a full album and ep...

Anyway, a good and such a rarity in their discography (the more so as it quite clearly surpasses the next "works" of the Americans)! The content of "Inhuman Condition" consists of 4 tracks, with a similar power to "From Beyond" and a very similar atmosphere (with one small exception, about which in a moment). So, "Provoked Accurser", "Plains Of Insanity" and the title track are nothing else than death metal in the debut type, i.e. playing not too complicated, quite direct and lively, but at the same time very catchy - calmly equal to the songs from "From Beyond". In the middle of cd there was a surprise, because the cover of proto-black metallers from Venom entitled "Warhead"! The choice may be quite obvious (or rather not very ambitious), but it has to be admitted that the interpretation of Massacre - surprisingly - sticks together and fits well with the rest of the album (and Cronos itself appeared in it!). The most important thing is that there are no significant quality leaps between this cover and the rest of the tracks.

However, the rest of the Massacre style elements remained in the type of what is known from "From Beyond" (because the material itself was created quickly). The biggest differences on "Inhuman..." boil down only to other Kam Lee's vocals (more "demonic" - they probably fumbled hard during mixing, because I won't believe that they achieved such an effect themselves) and production (a bit more raw). Of course, this is not a disadvantage, because with such a cover, a short number of tracks and the rapid pace of recording it, it was clear what style Massacre would stay in. It's a pity that in the following years they did not maintain a similar level and they returned much too late with sensible music.

Originally on: https://subiektywnymetal.blogspot.com/2021/03/massacre-inhuman-condition-1992.html

Inhuman shredding and voices galore! - 89%

hells_unicorn, April 13th, 2018
Written based on this version: 1992, CD, Relativity Records

Often dismissed as an afterthought or tag-along act that rode the coattails of Death by sticking to the older style while Schuldiner would continue down the progressive road, Massacre have been an on-again, off-again topic of scorn or adoration in death metal circles for about as long as the style has existed. Where one falls depends entirely on one's philosophy of metal development, or more specifically, whether one is trailblazing or otherwise keeping up with trends, or hanging on to an older approach that the ephemeral sensibilities of the masses and established media deem passe determines a song or album's merit to any degree. Frankly, this notion that an album is to be dismissed as lackluster or mediocre because it was unleashed in 1992 rather than 1988 is a rather ridiculous proposition for anyone who simply enjoys great death metal with that old school, thrashing edge and Lovecraft aesthetic. But that seems to be where many find themselves with regards to Massacre's seminal offerings, namely their proficient debut LP From Beyond and the shorter yet even stronger follow-up EP Inhuman Condition, throwing death growling pioneer Kam Lee and instrumentalists that contributed to Leprosy and Spiritual Healing under the bus because "progress".

The mechanics of this EP, which functions as something of a extension to From Beyond and features the same late 80s sound that typified Massacre's membership's prior collaboration with Death, manages to edge out said album in overall quality by amplifying the speed factor and making the atmosphere a tad more otherworldly. Much of the latter attribute owes to Kam's vocal approach, which is about as guttural as anything he's done up to this point, but a bit more versatile and often employs an alien-like harmonized sound that dovetails nicely with the bizarre metaphysical lyrical content being articulated. The riff work is a bit on the more primitive side and generally finds the guitars and bass working as one singularity of frenzied tremolo-driven and dissonant melodic phrases with the occasional chunkier doom segment, while the drums are generally formulaic and keep the rapid pace with few chaotic fills or calculated changes in feel. The only real violent left-turn musically speaking is the muddier rendition of Venom's "Warhead", which sees Cronos himself providing a heavier bass presence and high-pitched snarls, resulting in an odd sort of death/doom duet with Kam that offers up an illustration of the original wave of black metal's close ties with and influence upon death metal.

While the atmosphere and density of these songs is a key strength and distinctive feature, what truly makes this EP a spellbinding listen is the instrumental execution provided by the guitarists. The one thing that was lacking from the debut was an equally competent lead guitar foil to cut heads with Rick Rozz during the solo sections, which are arguably the most important part of the old school approach, and definitely the climax point for any death metal band with close ties to the Florida sound in particular. Both the Leprosy inspired evil of the title song and lone new offering "Inhuman Condition" and the slightly less dissonant but still powerful "Provoked Accuser" are chock full of dueling solo brilliance after the King vs. Hanneman approach, sparing no chaos yet coming off as a bit more polished and clear than the blueprint provided on Hell Awaits. However, the absolute coup de grace is "Plains Of Insanity", a song that had been floating around in this band's history since the mid 1980s and packs the same level of viciousness as the most intense songs off Seven Churches and Morbid Visions, all the while featuring a veritable cacophony of guitar shredding that matches any collaborative solo that Schuldiner put together either during or after Rick Rozz's exodus from Death.

One of the things that is often lacking in modern death metal is the aesthetic of looming terror that old school albums like this exemplify so well. This isn't to say that the death metal of today has no sense of atmosphere at all, but the general trend has been to simply pile on the brutality and rely upon impact alone like a half hour splatter session with little time for suspense. Granted, death metal has always relied heavily upon impact and for the time Massacre was definitely an aggressive outfit, but the divergent schools of the old Florida scene and the newer one represented by Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation at around this time were already pretty far apart from each other. Not that one is inherently better than the other, but there has long been an over-representation of the brutal side of the equation since after the mid 90s that has only been mitigated by a renewed interest in the older approach via bands like Skeletal Remains, Morfin and Gruesome states side, and a number of reformed Swedish outfits like Entrails. It is mostly to fans of these retro acts that will take to Massacre's older material as far as the younger crowd goes, whereas the old guard pretty well know where they stand on this one, but the thrashing death credentials displayed on this shorter masterpiece are without question.

Goddamn it, I love heroin. - 87%

enigmatech, September 9th, 2011

Heroin is awesome, and so is this EP. This EP is quick, fast, and brutal, but manages to stick with the listener and perhaps seep into their dreams...haunting those unfortunate enough to be subjected to it's wrath. And boy, do I love it.

Gore. Destruction. Mutilation. Death. You will find all of these awesome things on Massacre's classic "Inhuman Condition" EP, and then fucking some. Kam Lee now sounds like he rips out throats or at least eats cereal without any milk (sick bastard), and Rick Rozz changes his solo style to mirror less a little boy playing with his toy airplanes and more like a dusty cloud of death coming to fuck you up, introducing melody, which really helps in the "air-guitar" department more than you'd imagine!

Musically, this isn't too far removed from the original album, though it does feature a more pronounced use of more complex structures and perhaps more involved song-writing (meaning, more drum fills, less repetition, etc.), but to be honest, these songs tend to be more memorable and generally funner to listen to than the full length was, an album that had it's moments but also failed to deliver alot of the time. This album polishes things up a bit, maybe cooks the songs a bit longer for some extra juice, and serves you with a classic piece of death metal that is overlooked by many for reasons I've never understood.

Of course, this little release still has it's faults. None of these songs, despite being more mature, manage to be anthems of the same calibur as tracks like "Dawn of Eternity", "Chamber of Ages", or "Corpsegrinder" that stood out so well on "From Beyond". While "Plains of Insanity" is a fucking killer track, it ain't no "Cryptic Realms". And while the cover of Venom's "Warhead" is unique and extremly well done, it doesn't have the sheer sense of youthful energy and power that "Corpsegrinder", the Death cover on "From Beyond", managed to capture. These songs come across more as a bunch of exceptionally talented dudes in their mid-to-late 20's trying to impress already established death metal fans and labels by going "the next step up", wheras "From Beyond" was brutal, apathetic, and fucking mean. However, I thought it was kind of forgettable, and some of the songs were perhaps a bit boring and could have done with a bit more energy at times. So really, both releases are on equal ground in my opinion. Both are great.

Is this a masterpiece? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Is this really fucking good? You betcha! Definatly worth checking out, features some great songs and doesn't overstay it's welcome. I would suggest you pick this one up with "From Beyond" (not like you have a choice anymore, though, I'm not sure if this is even sold individually nowadays)!!

Neither incline nor decline, just less of the same - 58%

autothrall, April 12th, 2011

Intent on carving a name for themselves among the stalwarts of budding brutality, the ex-Death cavalcade known as Massacre capitalized on their lukewarm debut From Beyond with a smaller collection of songs in the following year. Steve Swanson, who would later go on to Chris Barnes' post-Cannibal Corpse project Six Feet Under, was added here in the second guitar slot, and the band would continue to pursue pretty much the exact same style as we would expect, a peripheral mirror to the sounds beings produced by Death in their prime. You can't exactly fault them for such, after all, they WERE the backbone of 'that other band' during the wealth of its emergence. Once again, Massacre uses a rather gaudy Ed Repka cover image, reminding me a lot of one of the covers for Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, but at least superior to the funhouse effect of From Beyond's vortex riding beasties.

As for the tunes, three of the four here are originals, some of which have been recycled from the earlier years of their incarnation. "Provoked Accurser" had been issued as a one-sided 7" in 1991, an astute waste of plastic. "Plains of Insanity" is an earlier track from years before ever being signed to Earache. "Inhuman Condition" itself is the newest, sounding a lot like a Leprosy standby in tone, sans the effectively evil guitar passages. However, I will admit that I like the new, morbid depth to which Kam Lee takes his vocals, almost overwhelmingly guttural and alien. The leads are also kind of sweet here as they dodge and dice through the matrix of rather drab rhythms. "Provoked Accurser" is slightly more brutal, and the rhythm behind the lead (and its own squealing) provide a grating, authentic moment of old Death, but otherwise it's forgettable. The same applies to "Plains of Insanity": I like Lee's vocals, but the music is neither compelling nor inspiring.

Lastly, they've got a cover of Venom's "Warhead" here, and in a not uncommon maneuver (at least in later years), Cronos himself appears to 'grace' the rendition. It's a better song than any of the Massacre originals, and sort of fun with the mix of Lee's groaning and Cronos' hacking, but not itself worth the cost to purchase this. Thankfully, you might not have to: if you've looked past the admitted mediocrity of the band's material, Inhuman Condition is included with the 2000 re-issue of From Beyond. It's also worth noting that this was initially the 'end' for Massacre, at least for a few years until they'd switch up the lineup and return with the abominable sophomore Promise, which would REALLY be the end. Regardless, a cloud of cult buzz surrounds this act like some swooning halo of flies, and while it might not be all that deserved, there's nothing about their pure death material which was all that offensive or tasteless.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Greatest EP Ever!!! - 100%

PWN3D, March 1st, 2008

Massacre are a band that are so underrated yet so influential. Some idiots might say they are nothing note worthy but what do they know about death metal? Stick to your lame bedroom black metal MP3's! No one should listen to those assholes. Massacre are the greatest band of all time and that's a fact. Without their vocalist Kam Lee, there would be no growling in death metal.


"Inhuman Condition" opens up with quite possibly the greatest song ever recorded. It's very epic and Steve Swanson's solo is brilliant and almost brings a tear to one's eye. Kam Lee's vocals are so low and brutal. Very demonic sounding too. It's unbelievable. "Plains Of Insanity" is another crushing song. Not quite as good as the title track but still awesome. "Warhead" is a Venom cover featuring Cronos himself! It's heavier and better than the original. At the end, Kam's screams will make you think they are torturing and castrating a demon. The closing song, "Provoked Accurser" is a classic Massacre track. Recorded from the sessions of the band's godly "From Beyond" album. It will make you want to start a mosh pit in your own room.


Inhuman Condition is a short lesson in how death metal should be done. This shouldve been a full-length album. This EP is hard to find but luckily, it's included in the reissue of "From Beyond." If you don't worship this band, you aren't metal! 'Nuff Said.

Nothin' great here... - 65%

CHRISTI_NS_ANITY8, February 12th, 2008

From Death’s past members we have another monstrous creature: Massacre. They are really a cult in this genre. They play pure death metal, heavily influenced by early Death (especially Leprosy) and the 1990 Napalm Death (Harmony Corruption). These influences can be found in the dense guitar sound and the vocals, in pure “Barney” style but less aggressive.

In this EP we have four songs and the first one, the title track, is quite doomy with very good solos. Nice but not spectacular at all. The up tempo parts are good in the final part with a riff that seems to come out directly from Leprosy for the obscurity and tone. “Pains Of Insanity” is a quite fast one. What I don’t like are the anonymous vocals…not growl, not thrash/death…Well, the music is nice but far from being what I truly like in death metal.

Only during the solos (always identical to Death ones), we can face good tempo. “Warhead” is a Venom cover with Cronos at vocals. The doomy tempo parts are very booooring…”Provoked Accuser” is the last track. The double bass work on it is good with a brutal riff. The tapping part on the guitars are always very good but everything seems to be already heard…and in a better way…

I don’t know but I did not appreciated it a lot. Maybe it’s because I can’t see the originality in it: they have too many influences without being themselves. The production is great but there’s a loss of heaviness and evil parts. Not exceptional at all.