Gorefest – La Muerte

Label – Nuclear Blast

Year – 2005

After releasing a string of albums through the 90s, Gorefest built up a sizable following in the underground. However, soon after the release of Chapter 13 in 1998 the band decided to call it a day and disbanded. After this, the band fell off my radar and it was only when I saw a review of “La Muerte” in Metal Hammer that I realised the band had re-formed. The band, as I later found out reformed in 2004 and “La Muerte” is the result.

Gorefest come out all guns blazing on this album. Right from opener “For The Masses” the band hit the ground running and its like they’ve never been away. The album is for the most part death metal. The flirting with classic heavy metal styles has all but stopped and the band actually sound better for it. Vocalist Jan-Chris De Koeyer sounds brutal as hell on La Muerte and it is his voice that propels these songs along. The guitars of Frank Harthoorn and Boudewijn Bonebakker sound tight and brutal as the two mesh heavy death metal riffs with more melodic parts.

The sound like all Gorefest albums is old school and the guitars sound meaty and thick. The lead guitars have never been a favourite of mine in previous albums but here, the guitar duo of Harthoorn and Bonebakker trade some kickass leads on “You Could Make Me Kill.” The guitar harmonies too are top notch through out the album. “Malicious Intent” and “Of Death And Chaos” are both pure old school death metal frenzy and will remind the older fans of “False” and at times even “Mindloss.” The album closes with another lengthy (may be too lengthy) composition in the form of the title track. A mid paced song that focuses on building mood, while also giving vent to the bands many inspirations.

La Muerte sounds like a combination of False and any of their later albums but updated for the 21st century. The only real complaint with this album is that occasionally as on the lengthy “Rogue State” and the title song, the band tend to meander a little and seem to loose focus. This though is a minor complaint as the band are generally in good form and have in “La Muerte” created a worthy comeback album.