Condemned - Realms of The Ungodly - 2011 Unique Leader Records

San Diego, California's  Condemned is back with an amazing album. It has already received tons of praise and I am about to give it more.

 The first eerie, ambient track, ‘Eirgmos.. Adious..’ has a fittingly epic feel to accompany Condemned’s long awaited return. It feels evil. With ‘Ere The Dark Sovereign’- vocalist Angel Ochoa immediately proves he is back and has somehow gotten even better with his unexplainable and awesome ability to enunciate his gutturals so well. 

Cool, interesting stop and go sort of riffs throughout this track set the mood for whole album with a new style for Condemned. They are each writing great parts and taking it very seriously. Great parts, great songs. The quality of this recording is miles from “Desecrate the Vile".   It’s also better than most brutal death metal these days. It is mixed so very well. I suggest headphones for a truly amazing experience.

‘Baptismal Incineration Upon Simonists’ - Bass, drums and the guitar all flawlessly flow into and through this track, moving as a fast, disgusting, brutal creature kept under control and taking cues from the vocals.   At 1:30 Obie Flett graces us with his vocals.    Most albums with guest vocal spots in this genre do a horrible job in my opinion, either the vocalists are just too far apart in style or you literally can not hear the difference.  Realms, however, does an awesome job with both guest vocals.  Each one is audibly different from Condemned's Angel Ochoa but beautifully within the styling of the track, becoming more of a pleasant and impressive punctuation rather than a distraction.

‘Catharsis of Human Impurity’ is a nonstop assault of quick guitar riffs and perfectly placed, groovy harmonics. A prime example of Angel’s range can be heard at 1:25.

 ‘Embodied in Elms of Eternal Misery’ has an awesome dissonant strummed chord that keeps returning and the drums are just off the wall creative. The guitars start a descending melodic riff that leads to my favorite outro thus far.
‘Realms of The Ungodly’ is a favorite track for me.  Condemned are more brutal on this album while keeping their slow parts more creative and somehow everything sounds more original.  This album has the feel of a passionate, fresh debut of a brand new band.  Starts by pounding you into the ground and then slows down and helps you up with a great groovy breakdown.  A guitar solo then seems to come out of nowhere, with a very slippery feel accompanied by amazing drumming.  The very last vocal part of this track is exactly why this vocalist is looked up to by just about everyone.  It sounds as though his throat really is a toilet.  A toilet…with words instead of turds.

‘Forged Within Lecherous Offerings’ hit us hard with some welcome, more straightforward, slammy riffs and longer single note melodies give this song a good old Condemned feel. 

‘Divine Order of Babylon’ has outstanding drums and a steady pounding feel that ends quite suddenly.  ‘Manipulated For Servitude’ is an impressive display of creative songwriting with the way the guitar is playing with/within the drums, which are very innovative and are peppered with snares and cymbal crashes, at times reminding me of Cephalic Carnage.  Everything is so perfectly balanced that even if this song were not brilliantly written, you'd be hard pressed to complain.
‘Submerged Unto Phlegethon’- I love the fact that I can actually follow along with the lyrics, which are, by the way, really great and should be paid attention to just as much as the music,  for they are part of it.   By far one of my favorites on this record. It is also the longest song, at five and a half minutes and the last two minutes or so are just as epic as everything else seemed to foreshadow.  Perfect ending to this masterpiece!

Please listen with headphones and follow along with the lyrics.
The music is amazing, the art is amazing, the lyrics are amazing. Now I just need it on vinyl!

PURCHASE THE ALBUM HERE

ZIG

TONY KOEHL