Magenta Harvest - Volatile Waters

Published January 22 2014

*=Staff's pick	End And No Remembrance One Walks Down Spawn Of Neglect Volatile Waters* Apparition Of Ending Interrupted Fleshwork* Limbo In Rime* Spiteful Beings To Earth Were Bound A Symposium Of Frost* Carrion Of Men

Genre	Melodic Death Metal	Mathias Lillmåns	Vocals
Tracks	10	Timo Hanhikangas	Guitar
Running time	49 Min.	Timo Kontio	Guitar
Label	Inverse Records	Jonas Frilund	Bass
Release	10 January 2014	Janne Manninen	Drums
Country	Finland	-	Keyboard
Producer	---
Similar artists	Amon Amarth, Dark Tranquility, MyGrain

In our hands lie the debut album of Magenta Harvest, a quite new formation of musicians who are far from green in the scene as they got backgrounds such as Chthonian, Finntroll, …and Oceans, MyGrain and Havoc Unit. This effort is however something else entirely, as I consider it a well-balanced hybrid of modern melodic death metal and more classic death metal. And what an effort indeed!

The intro offers quiet, vague background sounds, and I prefer to have this kind of intros on separate tracks as it isn't really integrated with the song in a way that makes it essential to hear every time. It isn't much of a problem though, as the opener isn't the strongest song, and sounds rather bland to me. Perhaps it could even give the wrong idea for the impatient, with the clean vocals which could scare some away. "One Walks down" with the blast-beats that sounds like helicopter-blades should surely set them straight again. More traditional death metal feel to it, for the old school lovers. "Spawn of Neglect" adds up with delicate melodies and groovy riffs, especially like the one at the 2:30 mark.

The title track certainly lies within the old school spectrum with a fair amount of tremolo melodies and bone-grinding chords chugging along with thundering drums. The poor drum skins become brutally massacred somewhere half way in. "Apparation of Ending" have too much keyboards for my personal taste and also shows some clean vocals which really doesn't add anything good for me. I have nothing against clean vocals in death metal, it's just how it's incorporated.

The by far best track is "Interrupted Fleshwork". Already in the beginning it sets itself aside as the magnificent beast of the album with an intricate ride bell pattern paired with savage beats. Very sad, emotional and yet brutal vocals of Lillmåns match up perfectly with hauntingly melancholic melodies, which bear resemblance of Amon Amarths distinct sound. "Limbo in Rime" carries the torch further with more great melodies and merciless, ruthless rhythmic guitar parts.

The thing that stood out most to me in the following song "Spiteful Beings to Earth Were Bound" were the alternations with triplets. Another face-smasher is "Symposium of Frost" with some impressive raw screams and beautiful, driving melodic guitar play. While the last track, "Carrion of Men" got an enjoyable slow and heavy beat to it, unfortunately it gets too repetitive and makes a weak finale to this great record.

Magenta Harvest has a more than capable skin-beater in Manninen who delivers insanely tasty drumming, like some of the fills in "Limbo in Rime". Lillmåns left a deeper impression on me than he ever has done in Finntroll, and I'm impressed. If you want classic death with a modern edge, don't wait any longer. I can assure you that this album is an interesting listen with melodies that are going to stick with you for a while.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
7,5	7	7	8	7,5

Summary
7,5 chalices of 10 - Sofus