Artist: Casket Fesh
Country: USA
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2023
Whether there will ever be a shortage of gory and zombie-inspired Death Metal is of course only questionable, but if it is up to Casket Flesh that moment will be a long time coming. With ‘Soundscapes Of Horror’, this American band releases a demo, currently only available to listen to digitally, on which they do not hide their love for the very rudiments of the genre.
On this first feat, the band performs five songs (including an intro) in just over 17 minutes. The generally mid-tempo-infused Death Metal is backed with haunting keyboards and, above all, an extremely fitting authentic sound. The fairly heavily tuned guitars and relative slowness betray a love of the early recordings of bands like Deceased, Necrophagia, Autopsy, Massacre and Nunslaughter. It may not all be very earth-shattering, and it isn’t, but it is all done with evidently audible love. ‘Soundscapes Of Horror’ is therefore definitely an entertaining demo for anyone who shares the fondness for the aforementioned bands (and like-minded ones). In fact, it is only on the last track, ‘Casket Flesh’, that the band does fall short in conviction. The screaming whammy guitars are a good and welcome addition to the music, but this is where the band really does fall through the lower limit of simplicity and song writing. But well, that shouldn’t spoil all the fun and besides, what else do demos exist for? By the way, I think it would be a great idea to make a cassette tape edition for ‘Soundscapes Of Horror’, the band has enough potential and there is definitely a demand for this sort of stripped down gory Death Metal.
