The past is never coming back, and the march of time is inexorable. We will grow older, muscles will begin to hurt and our frowns will become more pronounced. All we can do to alleviate this painful part of life is to exercise, eat well and consume material that reminds us of days past. Burying Angels do just that with their debut EP ‘Cathedral of Chaos’, an EP that harks us back to Melodic Death Metal’s glorious peak in the late 90s.
Burying Angels is the mastermind of Mark Palangio, a sort of Melodic Death Metal superfan who has a burning passion for the subgenre. His love and reverence for this style is not only measured through the sweeping melodies that populate ‘Cathedral of Chaos’, but the rotating cast of musicians he has brought onboard to fulfill his vision. The other core members of the group include Johan Niemann on bass (Therion/Evergrey), Patrick Johansson on drums (Without Grief/Yngwie Malmsteen) and Torsten Madsen on vocals (Autumn Leaves). This alone would make the band a verifiable Melodic Death ‘supergroup’, but the appearances of several guest solos by other prolific musicians including Chris Ammott or Andy Larocque among many others.
Supergroups tend to fail because of the competing visions among the different members, but Palangio has managed to string it all together by understanding the idiosyncrasies of 90s Melodic Death Metal. There is the brilliant rhythmic backbone that alternates between catchy harmonies and grooves, aided by a tight percussion holding it altogether. On tracks like ‘Razored Halls’ or ‘Walker of the Wheel’, the band does a great job on keeping steady, mid-tempos that segway into ripping, soaring solos – the highlight of this EP. The advantage of having so many guests is every solo is approached in a distinct manner which keeps the listening experience very fresh. All of this is complimented by an impeccable production job by none other than the beloved Fredrik Nordström. He managed to give the EP a very raw, almost blackened edge while at the same time allowing each instrument to shine through.
As a teaser for this project, Burying Angels have done a solid job. Listening to this EP is like being transported to 1998 and could have easily been something put out by Invasion, Black Sun or even Necropolis Records back then. A band to watch out for if your body craves the sweet nectar of dual harmonized guitar harmonies.
