From Greece comes another band, that will make waves in metal music world. After one demo ('Sublimation' [2002]), The Circle Of Zaphyan are already working on the debut album. 'Flesh Without Soul' showcases two songs from the forthcoming debut album, but which will be re-recorded for it.

This is real juggernaut death metal, European way. Low and pulsating bass creates ultra-heavy base. The music is kept heavy even during fastest blast beat parts. Riffing isn't very fast, which gives an impression of mid-paced heaviness during the fastest periods, too. Heavy use of double bass drum also grows this feeling. The songs are memorable. Their otherworldly atmosphere is deepened by simplistic yet highly effective astral/space/eerie keyboards, which help making the songs monumental, spacey. Even though this certainly has machinery feel, this isn't without soul. There's no guitar solos, but this does not need them. Low growling vocals are good, giving space to the music itself. A few lines of clean vocals are okay, but I could live without 'em. Following give some direction of how The Circle Of Zaphyan sound, but aren't definite navigational points in it: Samael's classic 'Passage' (1996), The Project Hate MCMXCIX and heavy European death metal. If I need to make a negative remark about this, then it is the short duration.

Lyrics deal with "mostly space, strange phenomena of the universe, science and technology" (as the band's bio tells) and this suits me better than anything else, basically. Sadly there's no lyrics printed with this promotional CD or on the band's website. Sheer power and heaviness of the music picture the forces of universe perfectly. Space ain't a safe place, remember that!

Reviewed by Lane
10/13/2004 16:13