Godless Rising – Trumpet of Triumph
I have been out of the loop with excellent vocalist Jeff Gruslin since the Vital Remains days of old, but he’s still belting out the blasphemy with Godless Rising. “Trumpet of Triumph” is this 2 man projects 3rd full-length and it once again features the excellent songwriting skills of one Toby Knapp, who used to be in the sadly overlooked 2 man band, Darken. Toby’s influences obviously range in the Morbid Angel and Vital Remains realm of tastefully melodic when it needs to be, and brutal when the hammer has to come down style of songwriting. Built on ultra melodic layers where melodic riffs roam between soaring lead riffs, to more dense moments of technical aggression, “Trumpet of Triumph” is filled with memorable songs that beg for total immersion once they sink in. Even the inclusion of a drum machine/computer doesn’t hinder this material due to the care placed in programming lifelike patterns and the fact that the guitar work is powerful enough to overcome any moments of sterility that could potentially be offered by the drums. Gruslin’s vocals are also the perfect fit to Toby’s deathly exploration, for the man can still dig deep into guttural lows, and effortlessly praise the sacrilegious with his throaty higher register screams. Even though his performance may stick out a bit too much in the overall mix, and the overall recording of this album could use a touch of reverb to create a bit of atmosphere, “Trumpet of Triumph” is a well done slab of satanic death metal that fearlessly upholds the old school with powerful and destructive songsmithing.
Moribund Records
Worm Gear 