In the past certain bands have proven that you don't really need to be 100% original to be successful. Apparently this philosophy has also been adopted by the guys in Anasarca. But then again, can anyone actually point out a single German brutal death metal band that wouldn't attempt to steal riffs from Cannibal Corpse or Monstrosity? But to make it more interesting, Anasarca also heavily borrow from Hypocrisy. Thrilled yet? Altogether, those influences are not the worst ones they could pick, but still I was expecting something that could keep my interest for a bit longer than those mandatory 3 spins before I get to write a review.
The riffs on Godmachine are actually pretty good. They kind of fluctuate between being fairly simplistic and then a few very complex ones are thrown in for a good measure. Technically speaking, the band is fully capable of executing their material in the most punishing way. Yet since you are basically being sold a concoction of what has already been done before (and done better if I may add) the songs begin and end in a predictibly familiar way that was done to death. The singer is pulling off the kind of vocals that George Corpsegrinder made ever so popular on the first Monstrosity album. He also does some nice high-pitched screeching quite similiar to that of the late Peter Tagtgren. And so it goes without being able to really stand out. Actually, now I recall that that's how I felt about the Vomiting Corpses CD 3 years back. I guess that the more things change the more they stay the same, huh?
I guess that if there's something that makes this album somewhat listenable that is the energy that the band possesses in abundance. They have certainly been around for some time (in different bands, of course), thus Anasarca does know how to put together a decent death metal album. Yet the band lacks a spark, which leaves the listener indifferent. Too bad, because the hype that surrounds the band could really convince a lot of people that this is the next big thing. Better luck next time, eh?
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