The last time I received Melodic Death Metal from Austria the experience was a quite pleasant one. DEVANIC was the band; a band I hope will release their first full length any time soon. This time it’s PERISHING MANKIND who has the “pleasure” to be reviewed by me. “Fall Of Men” is the debut of this Austrian band and I can say right away that I like what I’m hearing. It seems that Austrian Melodic Death Metal bands are anxious to ensure that the music they play deserves to be called Death Metal, meaning that they don’t forget that this kind of music shall hold some aggression. Of course it’s not aggression like you’ll find in a band like CANNIBAL CORPSE, but at least there is something to bang ones head to here.

It’s evident that the members of PERISHING MANKIND aren’t the most skilled musicians out there, not meaning that they sound sloppy, it’s just that the technical skills that many band possesses are quite astonishing. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews tremendous playing skills don’t mean that the actual music will be any good. For that to happen you have to know how to write good songs as well, a task I think PERISHING MANKIND handles well. The good production helps the band along the way, especially the guitar sound appeals to me, good crunch in that department. As with most of the Metal bands in this world I think that PERISHING MANKIND could have had the bass guitar a bit higher in the mix, but since this is a general problem with Metal bands I won’t be deducting any points for that.

My biggest complaint when it comes to PERISHING MANKIND is the clean vocals. I approve the idea of using clean vocals to ensure some variation in the music; I just don’t think that they hold the same quality as the rest of the vocals. The rest of the vocals are Death growls and Black shrieks and as I just said they are handled very well. One thing that sets PERISHING MANKIND apart from many bands out there, though not affecting the music as I can hear, is the fact that they have a female doing the drums. I’m sure there are other females out there who play the drums but I can’t mention anyone on the fly.

I haven’t seen the birth certificate of any of the band members but judging from the pictures they look quite young. Therefore I believe the odds are good for PERISHING MANKIND to develop from the foundation they have made with “Fall Of Men”. Even on their debut they are able to make songs that one remembers after the CD is finished, not all bands are able to do that. I would also like to add that PERISHING MANKIND doesn’t sound particularly Swedish; there is more than one way to play Melodic Death Metal. When it comes to Melodic Death Metal I like it best the way DEVANIC and PERISHING MANKIND plays it; recommended, both of them. (Online February 7, 2006)