Here's another slab of fresh meat that stinks old for all you horror death metal addicts. No surprise it comes from US of A, from New Jersey to be exact. 'The Red Mass' is the band's second full length platter. No it really is, even though it last for under 25 minutes.

So it must be intense? Yes, that's what it is. This nowadays three-piece bunch of NJ devils serve their dish simple, without any extra. Pure or punky death metal riffage and pounding and rolling drumming with maiming bass, in vein of (to keep the list short, here's three) Repulsion, Autopsy and even old Cannibal Corpse. Sometimes it is about grave death metal, sometimes more about entertaining b-class riffs (like b-movies, you know?). "Simplicity" is the keyword. This kind of stuff has been done countless times before, but nevertheless Ex Dementia manage to do it well. It is not always very catchy, but the its intensity will bash the songs into your brain, if you're into this kind of stuff.

There's energy in the playing and the sound is good all around; everything is audible, but it's not too clean, but has bite in it. There are some movie samples, but thankfully not very long ones, considering the album's EP-length! It was inescapable for me to fall in some sort of love with this, as the opener 'Shadow in the Chapel' is about John Carpenter's ghastly 'Prince of Darkness', one of my all-time faves and includes cool samples from the flick. The vocals are varying, with savage growl somewhat resembling Chris Barnes (ex-Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under) at his most savage, and all kinds of effected shit, like overlapping demonic effects etc. Guest appearances from Chris Reifert (Abscess, Autopsy, The Ravenous, ex-Death), Ross Sewage (Impaled), and Parasitic Tim (Splatterhouse) are heard. Some of the song titles are more than funny, but no lyrics with promo... Zornow's cover art is ace!

'The Red Mass' is a goodie, but also bloody short, because with a cover song, which is Venom's 'Welcome to Hell' done well, it lasts for under 25 minutes. It is still long enough for this kind of material, that's intense and not very varying, but if it's full priced I really don't know. Dirty, horror-inspired death metal for addicts, as said in the first sentence.

Rating: 6+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
01/29/2010 13:08