Handle With Care
Drenched in ability, Florida's newest death metal pioneers Capharnaum have regrouped since their first recorded onslaught in 1997 entitled 'Reality Only Fantasized' and their latest offering 'Fractured' is picking up where the first record left off. Featuring members of Monstrosity, Martyr and the latest American metal heroes Trivium, this gathering of incredibly capable and talented tech masters are riding high on the recent output of quality bands such as Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus and Blood Red Throne. This 8 track LP guides us through a world of breathtaking riffs, drum beats and out right metal like it should be.
Recorded in Audiohammer studios, the brothers grim, Jason and Jordan Suecof's concoction of fast paced, hate-filled loveable monstrosity of 'Fractured' comes to us with the knowledge of what makes a good record with an invigorating twist. This is a band who are comfortable in their decomposing skin as they unleash beautiful hell using their chosen weapons of guitar, drums, bass and vocal chords to a public that should really drop their Slipknot and Mudvayne cds and see what skill is actually like on a record. Forget Joey Jordision and his 360 drum kit, forget Jim Root and his 'complex' riffage that bangs the head of many a gloomy teen. Capharnaum grab you by the throat with the type of music that many a critic assumed only could come from the death metal haven of frost bitten Sweden. Here we have men being sizzled by the Florida sunlight, melting away the stereotype that only well known prodigies like At The Gates and Soilwork are the standard. The glory is being brought back to the monster's birthplace and this band is leading the charge.
This 'comfortableness' is what really is their strength. Throughout this collection of tracks such as 'Perpetuate Catatonia' and 'Fractured' there are jazz fuelled changes in sound and inspired drumming, doom laden collapses in pace that help to demonstrate just how masterful Jason Suecof's fret tapping fingers are as he inspiringly solos his way through all the songs which surely would knock the recognised guitar genius that is ex-Guns 'n Roses axe man Slash off his feet. Reminding us at times of the mathcore genius's Meshuggah, Suecof and the rest of the band pound their way through every piece, ranging from just plain all out death metal to complex arrangements of vitriol-laced epics.
When listening to the vocals it becomes apparent that they bear an uncanny resemblance to one time Sepultura - now Soulfly - main man Max Cavelera. Matt Heafy has no doubt done an excellent job in keeping the songs listenable but it is when Jason steps in that the band really starts to shine. More than anything it makes a change from what can be, at times, monotonous and boring.
From opener 'Ingrained' to 'Perpetuate Catatonia' you can be excused for wondering if it was the same song only sung and played slightly differently. Perpetuated by an impressive vocabulary, the lyrics are not clichéd or repetitive - a mistake which many bands around these days seem to ignore. Yesm the instrumentation might sound different, but that doesn't mean the listeners want to have the same story ramming its way into their ears. Fortunately, Capharnaum don't fall into this deadly bracket and once again rise above the standard.
Worshipping aside, these Florida-based metallers faults are few and far between. As already mentioned, they have to be careful not to get trapped in one sound and turn stale. Thankfully what started off showing signs of staleness in the beginning took off on fourth track 'Machines' and continued to blast beat its way through to the end. The experimentation with varying sounds and genres is what could put Capharnaum on the map and this album is sure to leave a complicated signature in its wake.