VELDRAVETH
Malformations of God
Iron County Records
Veldraveth’s third full length Malformations of God, following Undefined God (2007) and Temples of the Black Flame (2009), is being touted as the next step forward in song structure and composition, lyric writing and subject matter. The discourse that religious humans are inherently irrational and irresponsible is as old as extreme metal itself. Many artists from Ozzy to Metallica to Deicide and Marduk have addressed this to disparate levels of severity, and the Venezuelan black metal band is one more of the countless who put their thoughts to paper or cyberspace. It goes without saying that you need search no farther than the morning paper or the latest internet articles for material to substantiate their position. The upside, if you take time to read between the lines, is that Malformations of God is in keeping with metal’s socially conscious leanings, which bands have emphasized since some bored Washington housewives set off the musical satanic panic that persists as a matter of contention to this day. Songs like In Chaos Born, No Place For God, Ominous Omen and Murder would likely cause the same consternation today, but again people would be missing the point, if not ignoring it. As a platform to air the band’s sentiments, this album leaves no room for ambiguity lyrically or musically. From the outset it is uncivil and continuous in its quest to extinguish the senselessness that has accompanied religious devotion throughout history. If you’re a longtime fan of death and black metal, then Veldraveth’s nineties piquancy will vindicate your unwavering support. They bring a stirring balance to their songs. Most of the blast and dirge sections resonate of Scandinavian black metal, the mid-paced thrashier sections sound like Morbid Angel and technical death metal bands. The transitions from black to death metal sound like the band have put a lot of effort into tightening and perfecting them. The guttural vocals especially sound as if “R” has taken tremendous effort to perfect his style and his work is comparable to many DM veterans who have been at it for much longer. This is a recommended listen and if Veldraveth is indicative of the extreme music scene in Venezuela. It would be recommendable to look even further for it. -Dave Wolff
Track list:
1. Yetzer Ha'ra
2. In Chaos Born
3. Malformations Of God
4. In Terms Of Violence
5. Ominous Omen
6. No Place For God
7. Thunderstorms
8. No Return
9. Murder
10. Zyklon-B in Conclave
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