KAAMOS is basically an homage (or a rip-off, depends on how you look at it) to old school Brutal Swedish Death Metal like ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER and BLOODBATH, and they do not shy away from that fact. None of that over technical playing that seems to be the trend these days (not that I’m bashing it), but this is a full-on Brutal Death Metal album, the way they used to be.

KAAMOS’ main ingredient? Speed. Lots and lots of speed. The songs on “Lucifer Rising” are often full steam ahead, with few moments of slow crushing riffing. The instrumentation is a bit mindless, but has enough talent to hold its own. It’s simplistic Death Metal that isn’t flashy, and proud to be so, eschewing technicality and going straight for your jugular vein. It is an enjoyable release in spite (and partly because) of that, and a throwback to the days when Death Metal wasn’t a game of one-upsmanship amongst musicians. The music is a tad predictable, but these guys aren’t trying to re-write the rules of Metal or release a mind-fuck of an album. They just want to write good Death Metal, and they did so. My one problem is that the pieces are there and are put together properly, but something just stops this from clicking with me. It lacks that little thing that results in the difference between a good album and a GREAT album.

“Lucifer Rising”, as a whole, is simplistic and a bit mindless. Still, it’s a fun record to listen to, especially if you enjoy Death Metal a la Sweden.

Worth checking out.

(Online February 10, 2008)