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Carnal Forge - Aren't You Dead Yet?


*
=Staff's pick

Decades Of Despair
My Suicide*
Burn Them Alive*
Waiting For Sundown*
Exploding Veins
Sacred Flame*
Inhuman
The Final Hour
Totally Worthless*
The Strength of Misery


Genre Thrash Metal
Jonas Kjellgren
Vocals
Tracks 10
Jari Kuusisto
Guitar
Runningtime 36 Min.
Petri Kuusisto
Guitar
Label Century Media
Lars Linden
Bass
Release 21 June 2004
Stefan Westerberg
Drums
Country Sweden
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Darkane, Testament

Swedish Carnal Forge are back with their fifth album Aren't You Dead Yet?, and for those who don't know, it's all about furious thrash metal in the vein of Bay Area mixed with a modern touch. Aren't You Dead Yet? was recorded at Studio Underground, except the vocal works that were laid at Jonas Kjellgrens own Black Lounge.

Carnal Forge's aggro-thrashed style doesn't seems to have changed much over the years since their debut, Who's Gonna Burn, released in -97. It's still straight and fast, but after some songs on Aren't You Dead Yet? some really heavy parts start to appear here and there, and that is something that I think just adds more depth to their music. I realize that Carnal Forge nowadays feels more vital and serious, with songs like Sacred Flame and Totally Worthless. It's more to it than "the fastest wins.." Luckily this album is very well balanced so there are space for booth heavy arrangements and speed that makes me think of Testament nowadays, see the Burn Them Alive and its melody that stitches to the brain.

The material is well arranged and the production is good, which make this album feel very natural and solid. There isn't much that stretches out on this musical sound carpet, and why should it, really?. There are bands that have to "experiment and seek" in order to express them selves but Carnal Forge are none of them. Their music reveals a deadly self esteem. The vocals could nevertheless have been more of the kind that can be heard on Waiting For Sundown and Sacred Flame, very dark and grim mixed with the lighter verbal attacks that follow the music very suitable, but overall: a good album.

See also review of: Testify For My Victims

Production
Vocals
Compositions

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7

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Summary



7 chalices of 10 - Tim

Related links:

www.carnalforge.com