Lair Of The Minotaur--Carnage
Southern Lord 2004
Shifting gears after playing a certain way for many years can be tricky. However, whenever such a change is successful, it ultimately highlights just how much the musicians involved cherish music as a whole. So it goes for Lair Of The Minotaur. Not what folks familiar with their past work will be be expecting, Lair Of The Minotaur's Carnage platter is a fairly reverent slab of metal excellence.
Comprised mainly of former members from 7000 Dying Rats (perhaps best known for coming up with the greatest songtitle of all time--"Ozzy Looked Like Bea Arthur On The Ultimate Sin Tour"), Lair Of The Minotaur look to keep their metal old school on Carnage. Far from the experimental mindfuck their previous outfit tended to be, these guys have served up decidedly song oriented material here. The press release for this disc states that they're aiming for a blend of "Black Sabbath, Celtic Frost, Venom, and Slayer." For the most part, Lair Of The Minotaur manage to pull that off exactly. Still, the vocals on Carnage are shaded deepest in modern black metal scream, other conventions of that form managing to surface along the way, also. Not a bad thing, but it does clash with their apparent mission statement.
What is decidedly vintage minded about Carnage is its reverence for simplicity of riff. As a result, all eight of these offerings feel sternly rooted and crafted with care. Add lyrical themes based solely on Greek mythology and you have a near perfect example of how to optimally forge metal. Standouts include "Caravan Of Blood Soaked Kentauroi" and "Enemy Of Gods," for their ability to come closest to the band's ultimate vision. "Lion Killer" proves the slab's doomiest, sure to send fans of High On Fire and Thorr's Hammer into a frenzy. Ditto for the closer "Burning Temple" which sports a very nice epic, synth-driven intro.
Considering where these guys came from, it's shocking just how listenable Carnage is. Lair Of The Minotaur aren't exactly the throwback they'd like to be, but that's of little consequence. This is a superb album, sporting elements from so many different subgenres of heavy, it's sure to pull in a diverse array of metalheads. Any way you look at it, this one's a winner.
Score this CD directly from SOUTHERN LORD
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