Italy’s own Living Corpse have finally released their debut full length album, Metaphysical Collapse. After nine long years in the making, will the album prove to be worth the wait?

Like a stampeding Buffalo comes the opening track “Ars Regia.” Right out of the chute, Living Corpse incorporate the familiar “Gothenburg sound” that will surely liken them to bands such as At The Gates and Neaera (yes, I know they’re German). They also embody certain metallic elements of a band like Heaven Shall Burn. The brutal double bass blasts, while the raging guitars scream with both fury and rich melodies. Rafael’s vocals sound like a blend of Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates) and Marcus Bischoff (Heaven Shall Burn), while piggybacking the high end of Daryl Taberski (Snapcase). Sadly for Rafael, he is not nearly as strong as any of the mentioned three. There is an awesome breakdown at the end of the track that makes for a must listen.

With a surge of adrenaline, the title track “Metaphysical Collapse” hits you with the full force of a speeding bulldozer. Honestly, this track sounds like it could have been a b-side off At The Gates’ Slaughter Of The Soul. The shredding guitars are mixed with punishing double bass and barbaric blast beating. The big drawback for not only this song, but the album in general, lies solely in the vocal department. Rafael’s vocals are not big enough to carry a band that is this talented. Everyone knows that the heart of any band is the vocals, and while the music rages, his voice seems small and rather unconvincing.

“The Great Silver Bullet” is a melodic-death masterpiece. Blinding guitars literally tear out your soul, as the mind melting bass and drum work leave you feeling used and abused. I feel like Rafael does a decent job paralleling his aggression on this track. Yet, still, his voice sounds a little frazzled – like someone having an appendage amputated without anesthetic. Production wise, Daniele Giordana (sound tech for Hatebreed, Madball, Agnostic Front, Suicidal Tendencies and more) tends to cover up Rafael’s inadequacies, to some extent, by burying him in the mix and adding quite a bit of reverb.

Going in a somewhat different direction, Living Corpse bring us “6th Race Of Aquarius Age.” The opening takes you by surprise with a much slower, plodding Doom-style groove. Just as you get settled in, you are pulverized with more double bass, guitar, and bass massiveness. The band adds a little “flava” with an awesome sonic beat-down during the choruses of the song. The end of the track sees the sludgy intro style return with an even more melodic feel.

Metaphysical Collapse ends with “Daybreak,” which is a short piano/keyboard outro that is nice, but really seems pointless. It’s solid, but will probably only be played if the cd is left in the player for that long.

The true “Gothernburg sound” is known for combining ruthless drumming, relentless guitar with melodies, and ferocious vocals. Musically, Living Corpse is a band that is capable of conquering any goal set in front of them. Regrettably, I don’t think they have a frontman with the skills to carry the band to greatness.

3.0/5