Damnation A.D.

Kingdom of Lost Souls (Revelation)
by Tim Den

Fuck… I almost hate myself for it, but I just can’t seem to get enough of this album. Heavy, stomping metalcore usually isn’t my cup of tea, but shit on me if these guys don’t simply rock. Kingdom of Lost Souls is 10 songs of chugging guitars and catchy off-times, injected with dark melodies that thrust the music into a realm worthy of the blackest sabbaths. In fact, songs like “Wait for a Day,” “All My Life,” and “Circles” could easily give Fu Manchu a run for their money. The band doesn’t just resort to blues scales, either. Take a listen to “Fallacies,” “The Mortal,” or the title track, and you’ll be squashed by the palm-muting rage of these hardcore superstars (yes, superstars; guitarist Ken Olden plays in a million other bands including Battery and Better Than a Thousand, while vocalist Mike McTernan is the brother of Brian McTernan from Battery, Ashes, and Salad Days Studio). The sound is so thick and so goddamn heavy, it’s almost as if the tank on the cover art has rolled right on top of you (and is staying there for a while). Don’t you dare move, and don’t you dare think that you can escape this pleasure.
(PO Box 5232 Huntington Beach, CA 92615-5232)