Comfort zones, I have discovered relatively recently, are a load of old bollocks. Routines, they become a crutch, and a pretty harmful one at that.
There’s two reasons for saying that here. Firstly, “Memoir 414” is way heavier than the stuff I usually listen to. Second, the band have moved themselves out their own personal comfort zone here too.
It’s five years since the Greek five piece released their debut record. “…414” is better in just about every way.
The clue is here: “We wanted to slightly move away from our initial old-school sound and wrote the new material specifically with that in mind”, reckons drummer Alpha. “It should sound heavier and more modern without sacrificing the energy we released with our early songs.” Job, very much done.
One of those records where your notes for review have words like “vicious”. “Breakdown”, “Brutal”, “moshpit” and where the lyrics are growled in such a way by Theo (like Cher these boys see no need for second names) that you think yourself lucky that you’ve got the words on the inlay of the CD – or at least you do until you realise the maelstrom of hate that is spewed forth from within.
And yet, “Memoir 414” is a beguiling mix far more nuanced than the usual ultra-heavy metal (those that like genres would doubtless call this “blackened” something or other that I don’t understand).
“Cutting Edge”, which starts us off here on the biggest, thickest riff you can think of – and still manages to have a solo before the lyric kick in, helpfully points out that there “is no escape from the coming genocide” – and make no mistake about it, if you are looking for easy listening (in any sense of the phrase) you are not finding it here.
What you are getting, though, is on occasions, pretty astonishing. “Day VIII: Deus‘ Ignorance”. Is ten minutes of almost prog intent. It is vicious (that word again) but its labyrinthine, with some real melody in the chorus, a magnificent solo and even some piano to increase the ominousness of the thing.
“The Sickening” takes things in a much more thrash direction. But it is a brutal thrash. Not that of the hi-topped boys in the US East coast. “Dark City” has echoes of early Machine Head in the guitar lines (and actually there is something of the intent of “Burn My Eyes” throughout the whole record.)
“Dehumanized” will engender a moshpit that will be unhinged, wherever it is played, and if ever you needed to understand just how seriously the band have taken all this – and how important the record evidently is to them, then consider this. “Crux Nux Lux” is merely a 90 second instrumental, but they’ve still managed to print a whole page of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche’s words to explain it.
There have been hints of Pantera throughout, and “The Eye” brings them right to the fore, while musically at least, there is just a touch of really early Metallica on “The Culling” (not lyrically or the way it is delivered, though).
The last of this nine-song journey through the pit of hell, is called “Love Me Forever” which at first seems an incongruous title, and actually begins with the only clean vocals here. It settles into a groove though – literally – and is a fitting conclusion.
Domination INC, you sense have done everything they intended to with “Memoir 414”. Brutal, proudly uncompromising and fresh and modern. It is an interesting and compelling work.
Testament to what can happen when you challenge yourself.
Rating 7.5/10
