Vastum - Carnal Law (2011)^{Release ID: 13539}

If you missed the 90's heyday of death metal you would be very glad that Vastum popped up in 2011 to provide a healthy mosh down memory lane.  Their debut full length remains a much visited release from my library some eight years later.  The band are still going strong too having just released their fourth full length (Orificial Purge) this year.

Carnal Law boasts six tracks of slow death metal that nods to death doom aficionados such as Incantation but the album is more or less a more clean version of Autopsy.  Less clumsy than the Oakland quartet, Vastum's sound is more harsh and scathing in texture, less suffocating yet somehow more asphyxiating. 

The charging and menacing start to the album that Primal Seduction gives is a real taste of what is to come over the next thirty three minutes. The harsh vocals of Leila Abdul-Rauf (Hammers of Misfortune) and more bellicose style of Daniel Butler (Acephalix) combining well to give minimal yet welcome variety.  On the sonics front, Leila and Kyle House (Acephalix) have us more than covered.  The chugging engine of Re-member motors through solid riffs and surprisingly clear vocals.  The drums are well placed in the mix here as anything more than their subdued thumps and thuds would overwhelm the track. 

Devoid is the first real doomy track to my ears but it gets torn apart two minutes in as the pace intensifies before mellowing into more chug and doom to compliment the lead work.  Everything feels really solid across all tracks, like you can feel the intent of each riff and each drum hit and be caught in the rumble of each bass string. Umbra Interna acts like an extension of the previous track but goes off in an almost more progressive structural direction.  This track feels more dirty and seedy (let's be honest folks the band are writing with explicit sexual activities in mind) but also at times has a feel of something being missing somehow, like there's room to expand into that isn't used for some reason.  The track touches upon meandering territory on a couple of occasions as a result.

Penultimate track Carnal Law is one of the more Autopsy influenced pieces.  Again the band makes use of that solid riffing structure and adjusts pace well throughout the track. Album closer, Spirit Abused is a more driving offering that drills into the listener with heavy riffs as the bit of choice.

Although not groundbreaking, Carnal Law does a great a job of celebrating a sound that I enjoy, even it has been done before.  If you like your death metal sordid and corrupt then you'll love this.  No wheels get reinvented here but nor does the band stray into any specific aspect of worship only musings either.  The songwriting is solid and whilst lacking variety it doesn't get dull or repetitive.  Come bathe in the murk folks!