(Melodic Death Metal) Berserkerfox - History.Altar.Ashes [Digipak] - 2010, FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

"History.Altar.Ashes" the debut LP from Melbourne based Metalers Berserkerfox is a great accomplishment and a show of even greater promise. The Melodic Death metal style with duelling guitar layers, solo’s, harmonies and progressions is very interesting to listen to and held up with a very solid rhythm section, keeping the entire album thick and catchy and while at key points delving into slower more atmospheric sections which are well placed that keep the over all product interesting enough to listen to from start to finish.
The guitars are very clean in the recording which makes the harmonies and layers very easy to decipher and appreciate. The guitar playing courtesy of Ashish Kumar and Anannd Thambirajah is very tight, the solo’s are well placed and written well being tasteful and fast. The vocals of this album tend to stay in the comfort zone of mid range growls with the words being well pronounced as is common in the Melodic Death genre, they are sung by vocalist Daniel Mozumder with a good sense of rhythm which is not overpowering, but sits just right in the mix.
The drums are tight and powerful, the drummer Rory O’Donnell provides a solid beat through most of the songs yet diving into more flashy fills and speed when the music calls for it to add the texture to suit any given riff, a good example of how effective the drums can be when you apply the what’s necessary when necessary concept. In all honesty I can say that what made this album all the more enjoyable for me was to hear the bass work, unlike most Melodic Death bands, or indeed metals bands in general where the bass is only used to thicken the mix, former bassist Liam McRae cuts through the mix and variates in his own unconventional lines on several occasions, thickening the texture and complexity of the songs, whilst keeping them concordant and enjoyable, and in a few key sections the bass carries on its own. His talent and composition skills make it stand out and add something exciting to the experience.
The album itself was recorded in the bands own home studio, and this is easy to hear when listening to the album, very raw and thin. It's still very easy to listen to and appreciate the album, but in some instances the mix takes away from the music and leaves you wanting that little bit more. The recording aside this album is a great buy for anyone who loves the Melodic Death metal genre, it’s an above par Debut full length.
In the future it would be nice to see this band pursue those few elements that make them that little bit different and expand on them to make them a much more memorable outfit, but such things can only come with time.
I remain eager to hear what they can deliver in the years to come.
(c) K.Drury /voltagemedia.com.au/

Ashish Kumar - guitars
Anannd Thambirajah - guitars
Rory O’Donnell - drums
Daniel Mozumder - vocals
Liam McRae - bass
"History.Altar.Ashes" was recorded between June 2008 and October 2009.
Engineered by Ashish Kumar & Rory O’Donnell.
Produced by Berserkerfox.
Mixed and mastered by Ashish Kumar and Rory O’Donnell.
All music by Berserkerfox.
Lyrics by Daniel Mozumder.
Tablas by Treshan Singh.