The tolling of the bell calls out to the disciples of metal to join this unholy sonic experience as once more we make a sacrifice of the living to join the realm of the dead. Known as the garden of England, Kent may not seem the usual breeding ground for such homage to blood, booze and brutality, but underneath the tranquil exterior lies Monumentomb, a four-piece death metal band hailing from Maidstone. Appearing on the scene with their debut album Ritual Exhumation, they have unleashed a record of pure chaotic fury. Digging up the old sound, their music pays homage to the Swedish scene with definite hints of Entombed and Grave coursing throughout each song.

At a mere 30 minutes long, this is a short, sharp attack on the senses. Opening with the call of church bells, it is a deceptively calm intro that launches up straight through into title track ‘Ritual Exhumation’. From there on out the album is unrelenting in its frantic clawing from beginning to end, with every instrument barely holding itself in place with its inexhaustible aggressive energy. It is only during ‘Perpetual Execution Torment’ that the listener is given the briefest interlude with the arrival of backing vocals that perfectly counterpoint Byron Braidwood’s gutturals. Monumentomb are showing they mean serious business here with razor-sharp riffs, piercing solos and great production quality. Although it can lean slightly on the repetitive side at points, there’s no doubting Ritual Exhumation could challenge many of the newest release by the big names in death metal. This is pure, old school death metal at its very finest.

8/10

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Caitlin Smith