From the North winds of Canada comes Weapon, with their 2nd full-length release, From The Devil’s Tomb. Not having heard the band before, I resisted the temptation to ignore their kind of uninspiring band name and give their new disk a listen, and it was well worth it.

Weapon play a well-executed brand of death metal with some thrash and black metal elements thrown in.  They use a distinct eastern modality on a lot of their songs that is reminiscent of Melechesh or at times, Lykathea Aflame, particularly on songs such as “Sardonyx” and the instrumental “LeftHandPathYoga.“  This is a band that has put some emphasis on songwriting, as many of the songs build toward their main theme before pummeling the listener with blastbeats and strong riffs.

The vocals by Vetis Monarch are classic old school death metal.  There’s not a lot of variety, but again, they are very well done.  The guitar playing is surprisingly varied, with some slower passages mixed in with the brutality (see “Vested In Surplice, And Violet Stole”) to keep things interesting.  Another point of interest is the introduction to “The Inner Wolf” which builds up nicely with some melodic vocals before destroying the listener with an assault on the senses.  “Trishul” adds another dynamic by including a brief acoustic interlude along with the onslaught.

This isn’t a release that made me stop in my tracks or turned my world upside down, but instead it was one that I found myself liking more and more as I listened to it.  Both the songwriting and the playing of Weapon make this a release well worth checking out.

Review byPile Driver