Review by Vinny for Baphomet (USA) - The Dead Shall Inherit (1992)

1992 was around the time I was in my death metal heyday, although looking back I was still working with a very limited repertoire. I had discovered the terrifying sounds of Obituary’s Slowly We Rot some years prior and so it had begun. After devouring Deicide, Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower and Carcass I was off onto thrash metal for a few years in all honesty and so a lot of the classics from the 90’s (and the hidden gems) death metal peak were to become later discoveries for me. Some of them falling well into the 2010’s even before I had heard the likes of Immolation and a full-length from Death even. At some point in that period, Baphomet’s sophomore came through my grubby little mitts as I played a major game of catch up on death metal releases, by that point some of them being from over twenty years ago. The Dead Shall Inherit is not a record I would ever give the accolade of “classic” or even “hidden gem” to, but it has worn well over the years still.

Now plying their trade as Banished due to some German band of the same original name, back in 1992 the band’s sound seemed to fit into that cross-section of “also-rans” in the death metal scene like Morta Skuld and Sinister. Listening through The Dead Shall Inherit for this review it is not difficult to spot the likes of Immolation, Deicide or even Incantation in their sound, with perhaps even a smattering of a much less technical or brutal Suffocation also. It was clear that when they put their mind to it, this record could punch with the heavyweights, for a couple of rounds at least. With the grisly artwork for the record done by former Sadus guitarist (and band co-founder), Rob Moore, Baphomet had the component parts for a good death metal record. A riffy affair overall, The Dead Shall Inherit has a strong likeness to early Cannibal Corpse, another band who were in their prime at the time of this release also.

Whilst it is hard to find specific criticism of the record, it is still not a record that I find massively exciting either. Whether it is because I came to it late and had already ingested a lot of death metal from this era by that point, or maybe because I am still not all that interested in death metal nowadays like I used to be, but there is just no spark overall for me here. The album is consistent and has ear-catching (but not catchy by any means) moments most certainly, but it never goes off on a solid run of tracks to bring it up to the standard of other releases of the time. My go to records of 1992 are very well-established albums in the genre, with The IVth Crusade, Onward to Golgotha, Legion, Tomb of the Mutilated and Slumber of Sullen Eyes already hogging the limelight. Baphomet really do no wrong with this album in some regards. They fall foul of death metals saturated state I guess whether generally or just with my tastes of the time.