Album Review: Memoriam – Requiem for Mankind (Nuclear Blast)

Since the early days of February this year, the smoke started to spread over Northampton, around 70 miles north-west of London. The machinery is well-oiled, the plan excellent – Memoriam are back!

In 2016, the band formed by front man Karl Willetts (ex-Bolt Thrower), Frank Healy (bass, ex-Benediction), guitarist Scott Fairfax (live Benediction guitarist) and drummer Andrew Whale (ex-Bolt Thrower) informed the public about their existence. And since 2016 the machines have never stopped ticking over.

The third and latest string to their bow ‘Requiem For Mankind’ is unmistakably in the short, but impressive tradition of the previous Memoriam works. It is out on June 21st 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

Memoriam are back and with one of, if not their strongest effort to date. Requiem for Mankind is a ten track banger built on familiar hard and heavy riffing, frantic blasts of death and nasty guttural noise. A strong blend of heavy metal and the more extreme side of the music, it’s a joy to listen too. A joy to head bang too because rest assured within the first couple of tracks you’ll have neck ache already.

Shell Shock, Undefeated and Never the Victim are equal parts powerful heaviness, equal part ferocity and equal parts brilliant. Undefeated in particular shows just how dark and brutal Memoriam can go all while continuing to deliver constantly thrilling riffs and hooks.

Those three show the early promise this album has and what follows doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. Austerity Kills’ honest and outspoken lyrics combined with a frantic slab of filthy metal, the ringing percussion of In the Midst of Desolation and and the phenomenal metal wonder that is Refuse to Be Led. Tracks that drip in darkness but don’t sit too heavily on the mind.

Delivering a riff performance on The Veteran and the title track next, it’s just further prove that Memoriam are only growing in strength not just within the album but as a band. The wealth of experience within the ranks really coming together. Both tracks provide a blistering showcase of heaviness alongside a phenomenal amount of head-banging guitar lines and filthy rust-covered and illness inducing hooks.

Requiem for Mankind is such a strong album that the final few tracks creep up suddenly and before it’s even had a chance to properly sink in, it’s coming to a close. Not with a whimper either as Fixed Bayonet punches away with thumping death metal rhythm and Interment sees things out in dark gothic style. It’s a long outro but fits alongside everything heard so far perfectly.

An impressive feat, Memoriam are clearly not resting on their laurels and expecting to cruise by on their names alone. Requiem for Mankind is an excellent album.

Memoriam – Requiem for Mankind Full Track Listing:

1. Shell Shock
2. Undefeated
3. Never The Victim
4. Austerity Kills
5. In The Midst Of Desolation
6. Refuse To Be Led
7. The Veteran
8. Requiem For Mankind
9. Fixed Bayonets
10. Interment

Links

Nuclear Blast Shop | Memoriam Website | Big Cartel