### Hour Of Penance: The vile conception

#### 12/03/08 || Kampfar

”The vile conception” is a death metal manifesto against those who rule the earth through the power of lies, leading us all to an inevitable end.”

Yeah, right.

This is, obviously, not a band ridden with petty ambitions and a meek belief in their own abilities. To be honest the quote sounds like the kind of statement one would make after a hefty line of coke, but, even though I’m too jaded to believe anything will make much of a difference in this beautiful massgrave us idiots share, I nonetheless find their attitude quite so likeable, gullible even. I would of course not have thought so if their effort had been weaker than a prematurely born baby.

This could hardly be further from the truth, so lo and behold, the four Italian fans of death metal finally got a band to brag about, loudmouthed at it. You see, Hour of Penance is not only the best (US) death metal band they have ever had down there but with “The vile conception” also hands down one of the best (“new”) brutal death metal bands from anywhere. Yes, this is fucking br00tal, silly as it may sound, but not so in the same way as, let’s say, Hate Eternal, which to me sound as a bunch of technicians not overly concerned about making actual songs. It helps very little, as stated by hundreds before me, to be all excellent at your instruments when yer output is more of a bore than a radio broadcast of the Paralympics.

Onwards.

Apart from a mildly (an album killer for some) annoying kick drum sound, triggered as fuck you might say, and some few fast drum parts sounding awkward, sort of programmed, rubbish at it, “TVC” is pretty much a feast to my ears. And that’s a feat, it really is, as this jaded twat has been listening to blast for close to 20 years by now, and this, believe me, is what one would call a proper blastfest.

They are all over the place, doing their best to pummel you into submission, but are at all times backed up by a vigorous and creative guitarist throwing riffs, harmonies and solos around as if his life depends on it. His performance is downright intense but never static, brilliant really. All of this would, of course, have been for nothing if they had teamed up with bad or merely mediocre growler, one just filling the spot. Let me put it this way: Mr. Paoli is a powerful and aggressive machinegun growler providing the music with just the icing it needs, and then some.

Perfection.

As already mentioned, the production is somewhat flawed, but apart from the drums not being all they could be, and the bass of course nowhere to be heard, though here is bottom, this sounds really rather excellent. It’s not like the kick drums are mixed higher than the rest, making it impossible to concentrate on all the delightful licks. They just sound kinda bad, but not bad enough to cloud the fact that these guys are among the very elite when it comes to crafting death tunes.

Chaotic but coherent.

Awesome effort, mafiosos.

8,5 out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Unique Leader
- Website: www.hourofpenance.net
- Band
- Francesco Paoli: vocals
- Giulio Moschini: guitar
- Silvano Leone: bass
- Mauro Mercurio: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Misconception
- 02. Liturgy of deceivers
- 03. Hideously conceived
- 04. Drowned in the abyss of ignorance
- 05. Absence of truth
- 06. Slavery in a deaf decay
- 07. The holy betrayal
- 08. From hate to suffering
- 09. Conjuration sworn
- 10. Hierarchy of fools