Colosso - Abrasive Peace
Self-released
Death Metal
8 songs (33:06)
Release year: 2012
Colosso
Reviewed by Khelek
Surprise of the month

It's been some time since a death metal band has really done something to grab my attention and newcomer Colosso does a great job of creating a diverse album that has decent replay value, yet still comes off as relatively down to earth death metal. There is some melody here and there, and some complex guitar work and changing time signatures that would usually be reserved for tech death, but that only serves to make this album interesting thanks to the amazing skill of the one-man lineup of Max Tome.

The riffs that open the first song, Anthem To Chaos, do have a bit of melodic sensibility and are a bit repetitive, but they have a solid death metal sound, which only be comes more apparent as the song goes on. Sometimes the sound reminded me of Behemoth or Decapitated. The vocals of Tome are especially hard-hitting, although I feel that he sometimes goes a bit over the top, just sounding like a wall of static instead of a dynamic contribution to the sound as the guitar leads and drums are. The next few songs are also fast and brutal, continuing the energy of the previous song. Unfortunately it is not always the most attention-grabbing music, and it took some time for me to really listen and give it the time it deserves. The second track is also solid, but blends in with the first a bit too much for me, i feel like they should be moving on. The Epiphany is one song that I kept coming back to. The opening of somewhat creepy clean electric guitar uses a simple melody that is subtle but effective, and evolves a bit throughout the song. One minor issue with Colosso is that, while calling this project experimental, does tend to stand squarely in already tread death metal territory. However I think this album does a good job of using some memorable riffs and keeping the typical aggression of death metal in every song. Sometimes the anger is sadder and other times more energetic and in your face (Thou Shalt Not Be Benevolent, Headless Endures). I especially like Headless Endures, it embodies the energy of a good grindcore song with furious riffing that is more akin to technical death metal. The soloing is likewise technically great and has the same great dissonant, aggressive energy.

I think Colosso set out to create a diverse, yet still cohesive death metal album, and Tome done quite a good job, especially considering that he wrote, recorded, and financed the album himself. There are many different sounds and influences found on this album, yet it all comes together in such a way that you can tell that he had a great experience creating this album. It's the kind of album that will grow on you if you keep listening, and if you listen closely it can actually surprise you from time to time. This is a great start for this band, and I really hope that the project succeeds, especially since Tome has made it available for free all over the internet. At the end of the day this is one of the better death metal albums I've heard this year, can't wait to hear the next release.

Killing Songs :
The Epiphany, Thou Shalt Not Be Benevolent, Headless Endures, Unplugged From The World
Khelek quoted 80 / 100
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