Battle Order

This is the sophomore effort from a Dutch death metal band straddling the fence between a more brutal style and the melodic leanings of the late 90s Scandinavian scene. They share a guitar player with Devious, but I didn't enjoy this as much as his other band.

The performance is sufficient, and the band is heavy enough not to use any cheap melodies like you'll hear in the weaker crop of melodic death coming out. Occasionally, there will be a riff in there that hooks me, such as the winding bridge of "Fear Based Denial" or the savage melodic riffing of "Terrestrial Radiation" with that slower, sad breakdown. But for the most part, I wasn't very much inspired by what I was hearing.

The album has a nice raw feel to it, very 90s, nothing overproduced at all. All the instruments cut through like razors, and the dual melodies get a nice sound layered over the chugging rhythms. Though they don't sound much like Amon Amarth, they remind me of that heavy but glorious type of death metal which exists in that cramped space between the over-genres. I just wish I had found some of the songs catchier. There's nothing really negative to say though, it's just not something I will likely return to.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

After a small interruption in its career, Escutcheon is back with its second full-length, “Battle Order”. Despite coming from a country better known for offering us symphonic acts like After Forever, Epica or Within Temptation, these guys prefer to play Melodic Death Metal, very influenced by the Gothenburg sound.

In its new album, Escutcheon presents us with nine new tracks that unite the aggressiveness with the melody, expecting the first song. Although it’s an introduction that doesn’t offer anything new, the synthesized choirs’ melody gives us the interesting sensation of being in a destroyed world, where there isn’t much hope.

Finished the intro, the band starts playing its Melodic Death Metal, where the influences of names like At The Gates or Hypocrisy stands out. Melodic guitars mix with drums that vary double bass and blastbeats with slower beats, while Herman Hoffman grunts the song lyrics in a tone similar to pure Death Metal. Without counting with some exceptions, like the acoustic passage in “The Dead Of Tomorrow” or moments in “The Eucharist” that remind the heavier Death Metal, exceptions that make this record better, Escutcheon’s formula doesn’t go much further than this.

Although it’s not a bad record, the truth is “Battle Order” final result could be much better. Firstly, the guitarists’ technical limitations are revealed in the simple melodies and lack of solos, which is a big drawback, since this genre is rich in powerful guitars and appellative solos. Secondly, the production is a little worse than the average.

In conclusion, Escutcheon’s new album doesn’t add anything new to what has been done in this genre. However, “Battle Order” may have enough quality to please the genre fans, although there are better records in the market, in my opinion.