### Fatalist: The depths of inhumanity

#### 24/03/10 || cadenz

Fatalist hail from California, USA, and play crisscrossover. That is, death metal that keeps crisscrossing over the Atlantic Ocean, with Stockholm and the Florida swamps being the main destinations. “The Depths of Inhumanity” is their debut album, and an unoriginal yet enjoyable disc of death it is.

Obituary, Dismember and Entombed seem to be the mightiest deities in Fatalist’s pantheon of idols, as the influences are not only obvious but at times disturbingly up-front. Many riffs sound like out-right rip-offs, and the guitars seem to be played through a Boss HM-2 set on full blast. You know, Sunlight Studios 1991. The Sound. What it does on a debut record from 2009 by an American band? Well…it does sound good and suits the riffs, so why not use it? Especially when the riffs are the same as those originally written two decades ago… Overall the production is good, it makes the music sound powerful. All the instruments and vocals can be discerned separately while still being meshed together into a complete and rich sound canvas.

The vocals don’t quite get my juices flowing. The maniacal squawking reminds me of both John Tardy and Johnny from Unleashed, and unfortunately those two vocalists already exist. And possess more balls. The guitars are handled expertly and sound hella nice; especially the gloomy melodic lead parts add another level to the death metal otherwise lacking of dynamics. “Internal Misery” has an especially sweet harmonized guitar lead part at the end of the track.

Some riffs are extremely catchy, like the verse riff on “Homicidal Epitaph”, and this is what keeps the Fatalist boat floating. That particular track is also a good display of the cunning arrangement skills these aces from Ventura possess, my interest is easily held through-out the track when both new and familiar parts alternate to keep the momentum driving onwards.

If you like any of the bands mentioned earlier, you will probably like “The Depths of Inhumanity” as well, but be warned: you might hear your favorite riffs being played anew – and not in a cover song. Had this disc not been as blatant in its Ye Olde Scene worship, I’d scored it at least a point higher, ‘cause this is actually good shit.

- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Ibex Moon Records
- Website: Fatalist MySpace
- Band
- Neil Burkdoll: vocals, guitar
- Wes Caley: vocals, guitar
- Art Hayes: bass
- Tyler Castro: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Frozen Epitaph
- 02. Internal Misery
- 03. Morbid Derangement
- 04. Contamination
- 05. Death Will Remain
- 06. Homicidal Epitaph
- 07. Impulse to Kill
- 08. Life Deploration
- 09. Enthralled by Pain
- 10. The Depths of Inhumanity
- 11. Intro / Rivers of Blood